Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
There are only three articles
'a', 'an', and 'the'. Yet students lose easy marks here. Let's master this topic.
CORE CONCEPT
Articles are words that come before nouns. They tell us if we're talking about something specific or general. 'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles (general). 'The' is definite article (specific).
KEY RULES
1
Use 'a' before consonant sounds
a book, a university (yu-sound)
2
Use 'an' before vowel sounds
an apple, an hour (silent h)
3
Use 'the' for specific things
the book you gave me
4
No article with plural general nouns
Books are useful (not 'The books')
5
No article with uncountable nouns in general sense
Water is life
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Sound Rule: Listen to SOUND, not spelling
- a + consonant sound (a one-way street - 'w' sound)
- an + vowel sound (an MBA - 'em' sound)
Specific vs General Rule:
- First mention = a/an (I saw a dog)
- Second mention = the (The dog was black)
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
1
Fill in blanks with correct article
2
Error spotting in article usage
3
Choose correct sentence from options
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
1
HOUN Rule
2
H: Silent H = an (an hour, an honest man)
3
H: Pronounced H = a (a house, a horse)
4
U: 'yu' sound = a (a university, a union)
5
U: 'u' sound = an (an umbrella, an uncle)
6
O: 'o' sound = an (an orange, an office)
7
O: 'w' sound = a (a one-day match)
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Check the sound after the article
2
Step 2
'Honest' starts with silent H
3
Step 3
Silent H = vowel sound = 'an'
Answer: an
WORKED EXAMPLE 2
Question: 'I bought a book. ___ book was expensive.'
1
Step 1
First mention of book = indefinite article 'a'
2
Step 2
Second mention = specific book = 'the'
3
Step 3
Reader knows which book we're talking about
Answer: The
SHORTCUT 2 - Zero Article Rule
No article needed with:
- Proper nouns: Delhi, India, Ram
- Abstract nouns in general: Love is blind
- Subjects/Languages: Mathematics, English
- Meals in general: after breakfast
- Diseases: diabetes, cancer
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
#1
Students use spelling instead of sound. They write 'a hour' because H is consonant in spelling. But 'hour' sounds like 'our' - vowel sound.
So it's 'an hour'. Always check SOUND, not SPELLING.
SHORTCUT 3 - Superlative Rule
Always use 'the' with superlatives:
- the best student
- the most beautiful girl
- the highest mountain
This rule has zero exceptions in SSC exams.
Key Points to Remember
Sound Rule: Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds - check pronunciation, not spelling
HOUN Rule: Silent H and 'u' sound take 'an'; pronounced H and 'yu' sound take 'a'
Specific Rule: First mention uses a/an, second mention uses 'the'
Zero Article: No article with proper nouns, abstract nouns, subjects, meals, diseases in general sense
Superlative Rule: Always use 'the' with superlatives like 'the best', 'the most'
Uncountable nouns take no article in general sense: Water is life, not 'The water is life'
Plural nouns take no article in general sense: Books are useful, not 'The books are useful'
Musical instruments always take 'the': play the piano, the guitar, the violin
Unique things take 'the': the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky
Directions and positions take 'the': the north, the top, the bottom, the right
Exam-Specific Tips
Articles appear in 2-3 questions every SSC CGL exam
Only three articles exist in English: a, an, the
Silent H words take 'an': honest, hour, heir, honor
University, union, European take 'a' due to 'yu' consonant sound
One-day, one-way take 'a' due to 'w' consonant sound
All superlative forms must use 'the': the best, the worst, the highest
Musical instruments always take 'the': the piano, the guitar, the flute
Abstract nouns in general sense take zero article: love, hatred, honesty
Practice MCQs
Articles — Practice Questions
7graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
"The committee has decided to award (A) the scholarship to (B) an applicant who demonstrated (C) an exceptional talent in (D) mathematics. No error (E)"
Practice 2easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
"The research team discovered (A) an unusual phenomenon in (B) the laboratory, and (C) the findings were published in (D) a reputable journal. No error (E)"
Practice 3easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
"The director of (A) the institute announced that (B) a new wing would be (C) constructed to accommodate (D) the growing number of students. No error (E)"
Practice 4easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
"She is (A) a university professor (B) and she has (C) an impressive collection of antique books (D). No error (E)"
Practice 5easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
"The manager asked (A) the employee to submit (B) a report on (C) the progress of a project (D). No error (E)"
Practice 6hard
Identify the error in the sentence below. The underlined parts are marked (A), (B), (C), and (D).
"Although he is (A) a highly skilled engineer, he could not solve (B) the complex problem that (C) the committee had assigned to him last week, and he felt ashamed of a failure (D)."
(A) a highly skilled engineer
(B) could not solve
(C) the complex problem that
(D) ashamed of a failure
Options:
(a) Part (A)
(b) Part (B)
(c) Part (C)
(d) Part (D)
Practice 7hard
Identify the error in the following sentence:
The committee has decided that (A) an expert in linguistics should be (B) appointed to the panel, and (C) a series of workshops are to be conducted (D) before the final implementation. / No error
60-Second Revision — Articles
Remember: Sound matters, not spelling - 'an hour' but 'a university'
Formula: First mention = a/an, Second mention = the
Trap: Don't use 'the' with plural/uncountable nouns in general sense
Quick Check: Superlatives always need 'the', zero exceptions
HOUN Rule: Silent H and 'u' sound = an; pronounced H and 'yu' sound = a
Zero Article: Proper nouns, abstract nouns, subjects, diseases, meals in general
Unique Rule: The sun, the moon, the earth always take 'the'