Articles a an the in english : Read full detail

Are you confused about the use of articles and want to know about the articles properly? Then, this post is going to be very useful for you. Read full post for Articles ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’ in english.

Articles

Articles are short words (‘A’, ‘An’, and ‘The’), which help us to show that a given noun is specific or general. Generally articles come before nouns. Articles are similar to adjectives because articles help to describe nouns. In modern english grammar, articles are called ‘Determiners’ also.

There are two types of Articles :

Indefinite Article
Definite Article

1. Indefinite Article :

In English Language, the indefinite articles are ‘A’ and ‘An’. Articles ‘A’ and ‘An’ use to make the position of a noun indefinite or uncertain.

Examples :

She saw an old woman.
There was a emperor.
A dog was barking on the road.

In above examples 1, 2, 3, articles ‘An’ ‘A’ and ‘A’ are used before ‘old woman, emperor, dog,’ respectively to make it’s position indefinite or uncertain.

2. Definite Article :

In English, the definite article is ‘the’. Use of article ‘the’ is to make the position of a noun definite or certain.

Example :

The house in which you live is old.
This is the book which I have sell.
The gold of Pakistan is cheap.

In above examples 1, 2, 3, article ‘the’ is used before ‘house, book, gold,’ to make it’s position definite or certain.

Note :

The literal means of A/an are one, all, per, each, according to, someone, on. While ‘The’ is meaningless. ‘The’ has functional meaning.
Actually ‘A’ and ‘An’ are the weak form of the adjective ‘one’ while ‘The’ is the weak form of the adjectives ‘This’ and ‘That’.
If ‘The’ is used before ‘Consonant Starting Nouns’ read it ‘da’ ( दॅ ), while If ‘The’ is used before ‘Vowel Starting Nouns’ read it ‘ di ’ (दी ).
To put the emphasis on a noun, ‘the’ is read as ‘di’ (दी), even if the noun starts with Consonants or Vowels.

Pronunciation of the Articles

Articles	Weak Forms	Strong Forms
A	अ	ए
An	अन	एन
The	द, दि	दी

4. Usually, when we talk in english or give a speech then we pronounce ‘A’ as ‘अ’ (a) and ‘An’ as ‘अन’ (un).

5. But, if ‘A’ and ‘An’ are to be pronounced independently or if special emphasis is to be given to the word coming after A/An in speech or discourse, then ‘A’ is pronounced as ‘ए’ (a) and ‘An’ is pronounced as ‘ऐन’ (ain).

Position of Articles

Rule 1 :

A / An / The + Noun

Examples :

I have a (Art.) notebook (N).
He has an (Art.) raincoat (N).
The (Art.) elephant (N) has a (Art.) tail (N).

Rule 2 :

A / An / The + Adjective + Noun

Examples :

He is an(Art.)intelligent(Adj.)boy (N).
Somesh has a (Art.) long (Adj.) stick (N).
Rohit is the (Art.) best (Adj.) player (N).

Rule 3 :

A / An / The + Adverb + Adjective + Noun

Examples :

He is a (Art.) very (Adv.) intelligent (Adj) boy (N). (✔)

He is an (Art.) very (Adv.) intelligent (Adj) boy (N). (x)
He is very (Adv.) an (Art.) intelligent (Adj) boy (N). (x)
He is very (Adv.) intelligent (Adj) boy (N). (x)
He is very (Adv.) intelligent (Adj) a (Art.) boy (N). (x)

2. She is the (Art.) very (Adv.) best (Adj.) player (N). (✔)

She is very (Adv.) the (Art.) best (Adj.) player (N). (x)

Note :

‘The Very’’ (वहीं) is used to emphasise a noun.

For example : This is the very girl. (यह वहीं लड़की है।)

Rule 4 :

Such / What / Many / Rather / Half + A / An + Noun

Examples :

Such a girl. (✔)

A such girl. (x)

What a fool. (✔)

What fool. (x)

Many an inkpot. (✔)

Many an inkpots. (x)

Rather an idea. (✔)

Rather a idea. (x)

Half an hour. (✔)

A half hour. (x)

Half a kilo. (✔)

A half kilo. (x)

Many a book. (✔)

Many a books. (x)
Many books. (✔)

Note :

If Plural Noun is used after ‘Many’ then do not use ‘A’ and ‘An’ before Plural Noun.
Rather is used in the sense of ‘ वस्तुतः or बल्कि ’.

Rule 5 :

Such / What / Many / Quite / Rather / Half + A / An + Adjective + Noun

Examples :

Such a beautiful girl. (✔)

Such beautiful a girl. (x)

What a big fool ? (✔)

What big a fool ? (x)

Many a good book. (✔)

Many good a book. (x)

Quite an unlucky man. (✔)

Quite unlucky a man. (x)

Rather an interesting book. (✔)

Rather interesting a book. (x)

A rather interesting book. (✔)

Rule 6 :

All / Both / Double + The + Noun.

Examples :

All the girls. (✔)
Both the boys. (✔)
Double the amount. (✔)

Note :

(i) ‘All + The + Plural Noun’ , does not indicate class, it indicates the particular persons or things.

i.e.- All the boys.

(ii) But ‘All + Plural Noun’ indicates class.

i.e.- All boys.

(iii) In the structure of ‘ Both + Plural Noun’, ‘The’ can not be use.

i.e.- Both boys.

Rule 7 :

All / Both / Double / Exactly / Just + The + Adjective + Noun.

Examples :

All the famous singers. (✔)

All famous the singers. (x)

2. Both the intelligent boys. (✔)

Both intelligent the boys. (x)

3. Double the right amount. (✔)

Double right the amount. (x)

4. Exactly the wrong colour. (✔)

Exactly wrong the colour. (x)

5. Just the right amount. (✔)

Just right the amount. (x)

Note :

But, ‘Just + A / An + Adjective + Noun’, is also used.

Examples :

Just an ordinary girl. (✔)

Just ordinary a girl. (x)

Just a beautiful women. (✔)

Just beautiful a women. (x)

Rule 8 :

How / So / To / As + Adjective + A / An + Noun

How (Int.Adv.) beautiful (Adj.) a (Art.) girl (N) is she? (✔) (Interrogative)

How (Int.Adv.) a (Art.) beautiful (Adj.) girl (N) is she? (x)

How (Int.Adv.) beautiful (Adj.) a (Art.) girl (N) she is ! (✔) (Exclamatory)

How (Int.Adv.) a (Art.) beautiful (Adj.) girl (N) she is ! (x)

Devan Babu is too (Adv.) weak (Adj.) a (Art.) man (N). (✔)

Devan Babu is too (Adv.) a (Art.) weak (Adj.) man (N). (x)

It is so (Adv.) fine (Adj.) a (Art.) day (N). (✔)

It is so (Adv.) a (Art.) fine (Adj.) day (N). (x)

Chandra Kishore Babu is as (Adv.) experienced (Adj.) an (Art.) engineer (N). (✔)

Chandra Kishore Babu is as (Adv.) an (Art.) experienced (Adj.) engineer (N). (x)

Use of Articles

If you want to use Article A/An before any word, then it is necessary to know the first letter of that word and the first sound of that first letter. Without knowing the first letter and first sound, you can make more mistakes using A/An increases. You must know the English letters and their sounds to avoid this type of mistake.

Vowel Sounds :

1	i	( ई )	as in tree
2	I	( इ )	as in city
3	e	( ए )	as in bed
4	ae	( ऐ )	as in cat
5	a	( आ )	as in car
6	α	( ऑ )	as in cot
7	ɔ	( ऑ )	as in law
8	u	( ऊ )	as in food
9	u	( उ )	as in book
10	𑇒	( अः )	as in earth
11	^	( अ )	as in cup
12	∂	( अ )	as in ago
13	er	( ए )	as in day
14	αi	( आइ )	as in time
15	⊃i	( आई )	as in boy
16	∂u	( ओ )	as in old
17	au	( आउ )	as in town
18	I∂	( इअ )	as in deer
19	e∂	( एअ )	as in care
20	∪∂	( उअ )	as in poor

Note : There are 20 vowel sounds in english.

Consonent Sound :

1	p	( प )	as in pen
2	b	( ब )	as in ball
3	t	( ट )	as in ten
4	d	( ड )	as in day
5	k	( क )	as in cat
6	g	( ग )	as in gun
7	tf	( च )	as in child
8	d ჳ	( ज )	as in judge
9	f	( फ )	as in fan
10	v	( व )	as in van
11	Ө	( थ )	as in thumb
12	δ	( द )	as in they
13	s	( स )	as in sun
14	z	( ज )	as in zoo
15	ഽ	( श )	as in shoe
16	ჳ	( ज )	as in pleasure
17	h	( ह )	as in hen
18	m	( म )	as in man
19	n	( न )	as in not
20	η	( न्ग )	as in ring
21	ｌ	( ल )	as in leg
22	r	( र )	as in room
23	j	( य )	as in yes
24	w	( व )	as in wife

Note :

There are 44 sounds in English, in which 24 consonent sounds.

Know The Concept of First Letter First Sound (Regarding the Use of A/An)

First Letter	First Sound	A/An
Consonent	Consonent Sound	A (✔), An (x)
Consonent	Vowel Sound	An (✔), A (x)
Vowel	Vowel Sound	An (✔), A (x)
Vowel	Consonent Sound	A (✔), An (x)

Note 1 :

If the first letter of any word is a consonant and the first sound is similar to the Hindi consonant letters, such as क, ग, ख,…..ह etc., i.e. if it is a Consonant, then ‘A’ is used.

Examples :

A act 2. A bat

3. A bench 4. A fan

Note 2 :

If the first letter of any word is starting with consonant and the first sound resembles the Hindi vowels like अ, इ, ई, उ, आ, ऊ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ etc., i.e. if it is a vowel, then use ‘An’.

Examples :

1. An honest man. 2. An M. A.

3. An heir 4. An M.L.A.

5. An heiress 6. An N.C.C. boy.

7. An hour 8. An X–mas tree.

9. An honour. 10. An L. P. School.

11. An H.M.T. watch.

Note 3 :

If the first letter of any word is vowel and the first sound resembles the Hindi vowels like अ, इ, ई, उ, आ, ऊ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ etc., i.e. if it is a vowel, then use ‘An’.

Example :

1. An umbrella. 2. An exercise

3. An ugly woman 4. An ox

5. An Indian 6. An axe

Note 4 :

If the first letter of any word is a vowel and the first sound is similar to the Hindi consonant letters, such as क, ग, ख,…..ह etc., i.e. if it is a Consonant, then ‘A’ is used.

Examples :

1. A European 2. A union

3. A university 4. A unit

5. A unifor 6. A unique dress

7. A utensil 8. A useful cow

9. A unanimous decision

10. A one – rupee note

11. A one – eyed girl

12. A one – way ticket

Note :

If you pay attention specifically, to the sound then there will be no mistake in the use of A/An, but f there is confusion in the sound then the chances of mistake increases in the uses of A/An.

Examples :

A wooden table. (वुडेन टेबल) (✔)

An wooden table. (ऊडेन टेबल) (x)

A year (यिअर) (✔)

An year (ईयर) (x)

A yellow shirt. (येलो शर्ट) (✔)

An yellow shirt ( एलो शर्ट) (x)

Some More Uses of A / An

Rule 1 :

A / An is used in certain phrases.

Examples :

1. A team of 2. A gang of

3. A group of 4. A crowd of

5. A band of 6. An army of

7. A pair of 8. A herd of

9. An assembly of 10. A flock of

11. A galaxy of 12. A fleet of

Rule 2 :

A is used in expressions which are indicating nmber and quantity.

Examples :

1. A lot of

2. A number of

3. A great number of

4. A large number of

5. A great many of

6. A good many of

7. A great deal of

8. A good deal of

Rule 3 :

A /An is used in the sence of ‘one’ also.

Examples :

1. Mukesh has a dog. [ a = एक (one) ]
2. Binay has an apple. [ an = एक (one) ]
3. A farmer has three sons. [ A = एक (one) ]

Rule 4 :

A /An is used in the sence of ‘any (कोई)’.

Examples :

1. There was a king of Magadh.

(मगध का कोई राजा था)

2. Deepika did not give her brother an apple.

(दीपिका ने अपने भाई को कोई सेब नही दिया।)

Rule 5 :

A /An is used in the sence of “Each / Every (प्रत्येक) or Per (प्रति / की दर से)”.

Examples :

1. Sudhir Babu comes to my house once a week.

(सुधीर बाबू मेरे घर प्रत्येक सप्ताह में एक बार आते हैं।)

2. Mr. Dhananjay earns Rs 10,000 /- a month.

(मिo ठाकुर पाच किलोमीटर प्रति घंटा की दर से चलते हैं।)

3. Rice is sold at Rs. 15 / – a kilo.

(चावल पंद्रह रूपये प्रति किलो के हिसाब से बेचा जाता है।)

4. The train runs eighty kilometers an hour.

(ट्रेन 80 कि.मी. प्रति घंटा की दर से चलती है।)

Rule 6 :

A is used in the sence of ‘on’ (पर).

Examples :

1. He found her a bed.

उसने उसे बिस्तर पर पाया।

2. He went a hunting.

वह शिकार पर गया।

Rule 7 :

A /An is used in the sence of ‘all’ (सब).

Examples :

A dog has a short tail.

(कुता को एक छोटी पूछ है।)

(A dog = all dogs or any dog )

A cow has a long tail.

(गाय को एक लंबी पूछ है।)

(A cow = all cows / any cow )

Note :

(i) In the above examples, ‘A dog’ and ‘A cow’ indicate class.

(ii) A is used in the sense of ‘The same’.

Birds of a feather flock together.

(A feather = the same feather)

Rule 8 :

If any Proper Noun is used like Commen Noun, then use A/An before Proper Noun.

Examples :

1. He is a kalidas.

वह कालिदास जैसा विद्धान है।

2. You are a Tendulkar.

तुम तेन्दुलकर जैसे किक्रेटर हो।

3. He is a Dinkar.

वह दिनकर जैसा कवि / लेखक है।

Rule 9 :

Always ‘A’ uses before Most, when Most is used in the sence of “Very (बहुत)”.

Examples :

He is a most handsome boy.

(वह बहुत सुन्दर लड़का है।)

That was a most interesting novel.

( वह बहुत रोचक उपन्यास था।)

Rule 10 :

If two adjectives joined by ‘and’ are used before a Singular Countable Noun and refer to only one person or thing, then A / An is used before the first adjective.

Examples :

1. A black and white cow.

(एक ही गाय जो काली और सफेद है।)

2. An honest and intelligent teacher.

(एक ही शिक्षक जो ईमानदार और तेज है।)

3. A red and black shirt.

(एक ही कमीज जो लाल और काली है।)

4. A tall and handsome boy.

(एक ही लड़का जो लंबा और सुन्दर है।)

Rule 11 :

If two adjectives joined by ‘and’ are used before a Singular Countable Noun and indicates two different persons or things, then A / An is used before the each adjective.

Examples :

1. A black and a white cow.

(दो गाये जिनमें एक काली और दूसरी सफेद है।)

2. An honest and an intelligent teacher.

( दो शिक्षक जिसमें एक ईमानदार और दूसरा तेज है।)

3. A red and a black shirt.

(दो कमीज जिसमें एक लाल और दूसरा काला है।)

4. A tall and a handsome boy.

( दो लडके एक लंबा और दूसरा सुन्दर है।)

Note :

(i) If two A adjectives are joined by ‘and’ and placed before a Singular Common Noun and these Adjectives indicates only one and the same person, thing, animal or emotion, then ‘the’ is used before the first adjective.

Examples :

1. The red and white rose looks beautiful. (✔)

2. The red and the white rose looks beautiful. (x)

(ii) If two Aadjectives are joined by ‘and’ and placed before a Singular Common Noun and these Adjectives indicates two different persons, things or emotions, then ‘the’ is also used before both the A adjectives.

Examples :

1. The red and the white rose looks beautiful. (✔)

2. The red and white rose looks beautiful. (x)

Rule 12 :

If two Singular Nouns joined by ‘and’ and indicate a single person or thing, then before the first Singular Noun use the Indefinite Article .

Examples :

1. A clerk and cashier.
(एक ही व्यक्ति जो किरानी और खजांची दोनों है।)
2. An uncle and guardian.
( एक ही व्यक्ति जो चाचा और अभिभावक दोनों है।)

Rule 13 :

If two Singular Nouns joined by ‘and’ and indicate two different persons or things, then before each Singular Noun use the Indefinite Article .

Examples :

1. A clerk and a cashier.
( दो व्यक्ति जिसमें एक किरानी और खजांची है।)
2. An uncle and a guardian.
(जो व्‍यक्ति जिनमें एक चाचा और दूसरा अभिभावक है।)

Rule 14 :

Always ‘A’ is used before a Proper Noun in the sense of “Some/a certain” (कोई / अज्ञात).

Examples :

1. A Mr. Mohan wants to talk to you.
(कोई मि. मोहन तुम से बात करना चाहता है।)
2. A Mr. Thakur gave me this book for you.
(कोई एक मिस्टर ठाकुर ने तुम्हारे लिए यह पुस्तक मुझे दी है।)

Note:

It is clear from the above sentences that the speaker does not know anything except the names of “Mr. Mohan” and “Mr. Thakur”.

Rule 15 :

A/ An is used in the phrases given below.

Phrases with A/An
1. In a temper	2. In a rage
3. In a mood	4. In a hurry
5. In a dilemma	6. As a rule
7. As a matter of fact	8. At a cost
9. At a loss	10. At a stone's throw
11. A short time ago	12. A horror of
13. A love of	14. A short while ago
15. After a delay of	16. Have a cold
17. Catch a cold	18. Catch cold
19. Have a headache	20. Have a fever
21. Get a headache	22. Have a pain
23. Have an opportunity	24. Have a chance
25. Have a pain	26. Have a cold
27. Have a cough	28. In a nutshell
29. In a fix	30. Have a drink
31. Have a rest	32. Have a talk
33. Have a sleep	34. Have a bath
35. Have an Interest in	36. Have a pride in
37. Keep a promise	38. Make a deal with
39. Keep an appointment	40. Make an excuse
41. Make a noise	42. Take a risk
43. At a discount	44. At a premium
45. Have a swim	46. Go for a swim
47. Have a meal	48. Take a meal
49. Have a courage	50. Take a courage
51.Take a rest	52. Take a vacation

Rule 16 :

‘A/An’ is used before counting expressing words or units (गिनती सूचक शब्दों या इकाई).

i.e. a dozen, a hundred, a thousand, a million, a score, a gross, a couple

Examples :

1. I have a dozen eggs. (✔)

I have dozen eggs. (x)

2. She has a thousand rupees. (✔)

She has thousand rupees. (x)

But, One and a half kilos = 1½ kilos (✔)

A kilo and a half = 1½ kilos (✔)

Half a kilos = 1½ kg (✔)

A half kilo = ½ kg (x)

A third or One third =⅓ (✔)

A quarter or One quarter =¼ (✔)

Five and a quarter miles = 5¼ miles (✔)

A fifth or One fifth = ⅕ (✔)

A tenth or One tenth = 1/10 (✔)

Look at These Sentences :

1. A couple of hours will be enough for the work. (✔)

The couple of hours will be enough for the work. (x)

2. He has to go five and a quarter miles a day. (✔)

He has to go five and quarter miles a day. (x)

Rule 17 :

A / An is used before a Singular Countable Noun for the indication of class and caste.

Examples :

1. A cow is a domestic animal. [A cow = all cows (सभी गायें)]

2. An ox is a very useful animal. [An ox = all oxen (सभी बैल)]

Try to understand the above examples.

Again, 1. A cow is a domestic animal.

= cows are domestic animals.
= All cows are domestic animals.
= The cow is a domestic animal.

The meaning of the sentences given above is same/similar.

Rule 18 :

A/An is also used before any Singular Countable Noun.

Examples :

I am a teacher.
She is a doctor.
He is a publisher.
You are a student.

Rule 19 :

If an Uncountable Noun is used as a Countable Noun then use A/An.

Examples :

Read the table carefully.

As Uncountable Noun	As Countable Noun
This wall is made of stone.(पत्थर)	She threw a stone at me.(एक पत्थर)
She has beauty. (सुन्दरता)	She is a beauty. (सुन्दर औरत)
There is no life without fire. (आग)	He made a fire to warm himself. (एक अंगीठी)
This ball is made of rubber.(रबड़)	He has to buy a rubber.(एक रबड़)
Marriage is the union of two souls. (विवाह)	He is going to attend a marriage. (एक विवाहोत्सव)
She has great love for me. (प्यार/प्रेम)	She is an old love of mine.(प्रेमी/प्रेमिका)
There is lamb in the menu. (भेड़ का मांस)	That is a lamb. (भेड़)
You came here on time. (समय)	He had a bad time in Delhi. (परिस्थिति)
This room is full of smoke. (धुँआ)	Let's have a smoke now. (सिगरेट)
He is fond of bread and chicken. (मुर्गा/मुर्गी का मांस)	Aditi will buy a chicken tomorrow. (मुर्गी का बच्चा)
The sun gives us heat. (गर्मी)	He did fairly well in a trial heat. (प्रतियोगिता)
He signed his name in pencil. (पेंसिल रंग में)	I have to buy a pencil.(पेंसिल)
Language is a gift of God.(भाषा)	English is a rich language. (भाषा)
History is an easy subject.(इतिहास)	He has a very bad history. (इतिहास)
He is suffering from headache. (सिरदर्द)	She had a bad headache yesterday. (सिरदर्द)

Rule 20 :

‘A’ is also used to make a Plural Noun into a Singular Noun.

Examples :

Five days journey (Plural)
A five-day journey (Singular)
Six men committee (Plural)
A six-man committee (Singular)
Five years plan (Plural)
A five-year plan (Singular)

Rule 21 :

When a Singular Countable noun is discussed for the first time in a sentence, then according to need A/An is used before that noun. But when it is discussed again, then Article ‘The’ is used.

Examples :

Yesterday a man to me. The man was very hungry.
There was a king. The king was very wise.

In the above sentences, man and king were discussed for the first time, so ‘a’ is used before the both nouns. When it was discussed again, ‘the’ was used.

Rule 22 :

If a verb is used as a noun then according to need A / An is used before it.

Examples :

1. His grandfather has gone for a walk. (✔)
His grandfather has gone for walk. (x)
2. He wants to have a rest / a bath / a drink now. (✔)
He wants to have rest /bath / drink now. (x)
3. My son has gone for a swim / a ride. (✔)
My son has gone for swim / ride. (x)
4. Yesterday Principal had a long talk with the publisher. (✔)
Yesterday Principal had long talk with the publisher. (x)
5. Nilu gave a talk on her visit to Mumbai. (✔)
Nilu gave talk on her visit to Mumbai. (x)

Some Important Points :

There are some words which are used as Verb and Noun in the following manner –

1. ‘Walk’ is used as a noun in the sense of journey on foot and manner of walking.

Examples :

1. He has gone for a morning walk.

( वह सुबह की सैर के लिए गया है।)

2. I could recognize him by his walk.

( मैं उसे उसकी चाल से पहचान सकता था।)

2. In the sense of ‘travelling on foot’ and ‘crossing by walking’, use ‘Walk’ as a verb .

Examples :

Walk slowly on a busy road.
व्यस्त सड़क पर धीरे-धीरे चलें ।
2. Walk across the street
गली पैदल चलकर पार करे।

Pay Attention :

Phrase	English Meaning	Hindi Meaning
Walk out (V)	Go on strike	हड़ताल करना
Walk over (N)	Any task easily done; easy victory	आसान जीत

Examples :

The workers of this factory walked out this morning.
Since the opposite team did not turn up, we got a walk over.

3. ‘Rest’ is used as a noun for the sense ‘repose’(‘आराम’) and ‘remainder’(‘अवशेष / बाकी’).

Examples :

1. Rest is necessary after hard work.
( कड़ी मेहनत के बाद आराम जरूरी है।)
2. Eat what you want and leave the rest.
( जो तुम्हारी इच्छा है खाओ और बाकी छोड़ दो।)

4. ‘Rest’ is used as a verb when the sense is ‘to relax’ and ‘to give peace to the soul’ (‘आराम करना ‘तथा ‘आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करना’).

Examples :

1. We are tired, we are resting now.
(हम थक गए हैं, अब आराम कर रहे हैं।)
2. May God rest his soul !
( ईश्वर उसकी आत्मा को शांति दे!)

Pay Attention :

Phrase	English Meaning	Hindi Meaning
At rest	at ease	विश्राम की हालत में
For the rest	the remaining ones	बाकी बचे हुए को
Rest on	to place on support	टेक पर रखना या बैठना

5. ‘Bath’ is used as a noun in the sense of ‘taking a bath’ or the act of bathing (washing of the body) and ‘water for bath’ (‘नहाने का पानी’).

Example :

He went for a bath.
( वह स्नान करने के लिए गया।)

6. ‘Bath’ is used as a verb in the sense of, ‘to moisten the body all over; to immerse in a liquid; apply water to (स्नान करना या नहाना, स्नान करना, जल में डुबाना तथा पानी से धोना या साफ करना).

Examples :

1. He bathed in the river.
( उसने नदी में स्नान किया।)
2. The doctor bathed the wound.
( डॉक्टर ने घाव को पानी से धोया / साफ किया।)

7. ‘Drink’ is used as a noun in the sense of liquid for drinking, alcoholic liquor.

Examples :

1. We cannot live without food and drink.
( हमलोग भोजन और पेय के बिना नहीं रह सकते हैं।)
2. He is too fond of drink
( वह शराब का अत्यधिक प्रेमी हैं।)

8. ‘Drink’ is used as a verb in the sense of, ‘to take liquid into the mouth and swallow / to take alcoholic liquors ( पानी आदि पीना तथा मदिरा का पान करना).

Examples :

1. Rajesh drinks a glass of milk before going to bed.
(राजेश सोने से पहले एक गिलास दूध पीता है।)
2. He drinks far too much.
(वह आवश्यकता से अधिक मदिरा का पान करता है।)

9. ‘Swim’ is used as a verb for the sense of, ‘move the body through water, cross by swimming, overflowing’ (तैरना, तैरकर पार करना तथा भरकर फैलना).

Examples :

1. The girls are swimming in a tank.
(लड़कियों तालाब में तैर रही हैं।)
2. Your eyes are swimming with tears.
(तुम्हारी आँखों में आँसु भरकर फैल रही है।)

10. ‘Swim’ is used as a noun for the sense of ‘swim’ (act of swimming).

Example :

They have gone for a swim.
(वे लोग तैरने के लिए गये हैं।)

11. ‘Ride’ is used as a noun in the sense of, journey on a bicycle, horseback or in a public vehicle (सवारी, सफर).

Example :

Neeraj should go for a ride early in the morning.
(नीरज को सुबह सवारी/सफर करना चाहिए।)

12. ‘Ride’ is used as a verb to mean ‘to ride’ (to sit on a horse or a bicycle and be carried along).

Example :

Lochinvar jumped on his horse and rode off.

13. ‘Talk’ is used as a noun in the sense of conversation, mutual discussion, speech (वार्तालाप, वादविवाद, वार्ता, भाषण).

Examples :

They had a friendly talk.
How to root out terrorism was the main topic of their talk.
He gave an impressive talk on family planning.

14. ‘Talk’ is used as a verb in the sense of to express in words, ‘to disclose information, to speak’ (संभाषण करना, समाचार बतलाना तथा बातचीत करना).

Examples :

He is talking about his school days.
What are you talking about?
They have been talking for an hour.

Pay Attention :

Phrasal Verbs	English Meaning	Hindi Meaning
Talk up	to speak boldly, to praise or discuss enthusiastically, to pramote interest in	निर्भय बोलना, प्रशंसा करना या उकसाना, किसी चीज मे रुचि को बढ़ावा देना
Talk against time	Simply gossip	केवल समय बिताने के लिए बातें करना
Talk big	to talk boastfully	शेखी मारना
Talk down	to overwhelm by force of argument or by loud and persistent talking, to speak disparagingly, to be little	विवाद में मुंह बंद कर देना, तुच्छ समझना, निन्दा करना, महत्व घटाना
Talking of	about things of which mention has been made	ऐसे मामलों पर बात करना जिनका उल्लेख पहले किया जा चुका है।
Talk over	to discuss, to convince by talking	सविस्तार वाद-विवाद करना, अपने विचारों का बना लेना
Talk round	to talk on a subject without reaching a conclusion	बिना निर्णय पर पहुंचे वाद-विवाद करते जाना
Talk to	to address	सम्बोधित करना

Rule 23 :

When an abstract noun is used in the sense of a kind of quality, then A/An is used before it according to need.

Examples :

Manali has received a good education.
If the students want to have a good working knowledge of English, they should read this book.

Note :

A/An is not used before abstract nouns, Generally.

Examples :

He has a pride (x)
He has pride (√)
A wisdom is the gift of heaven (x)
Wisdom is the gift of heaven (√)

Rule 24 :

If ‘Become’ is used in the sense of ‘begin to be’ /grow to be’ and after this a noun is used then A/An is used before the noun as per the need.

Examples :

He gave up worldly life and became a sanyasi.
My son wants to become an engineer.

Rule 25 :

A/An is also used with some uncountable nouns.

Memorise them :

Right	Wrong
Have a beer	Have beer
Have a shower	Have shower
Have a shave	Have shave
Have a conversation	Have conversation
Have a dream	Have dream
Have a chat	Have chat
Have a quarrel	Have quarrel
Have a fight	Have fight
Have a good day	Have good day
Have a bad day	Have bad day
Have a disagreement	Have disagreement
Have a try	Have try
Have a good education	Have good education
Have a good knowledge	Have good knowledge
In a diagram	In diagram

Rule 26 :

If name of a person is used to refer (संकेत/इशारा करना) to different aspects of his character, then ‘A’ and ‘the’ are used before it as per need.

Example :

He is a different Ravi from the one (Ravi) I met a few years ago.

Where not to use ‘A’ and ‘An’ :

Read the rules and examples carefully to understand Where not to use ‘A’ and ‘An’.

Rule 1 :

‘A/An’ is not used Before ‘Proper Noun’.

Examples :

1. We live in a Bihar. (x)
We live in Bihar. (√)
2. A Nilu is a naughty girl. (x)
Nilu is a naughty girl. (√)

Rule 2 :

‘A/An’ is not used Before ‘Uncountable Noun’.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
A gold	gold
A water	water
A bread	bread
A chalk	chalk
A silver	silver
A paper	paper
A copper	copper
A butter	butter
An electric	electric
A medicine	medicine
An aluminium	aluminium
An ice	ice
A coal	coal
A coffee	coffee
A petrol	petrol
A tea	tea
An oil	oil
A ghee	ghee
A milk	milk
A rice	rice
A dust	dust
A news	news
A furniture	furniture
A scenery	scenery
A traffic	traffic
An advice	advice
A luggage	luggage
A music	music
An information	information
A poetry	poetry

But these are right-

A glass of water. (✔)
A piece of bread. (✔)
A piece of furniture. (✔)
A stick of chalk. (✔)
A piece of paper. (✔)
A pile of rubbish. (✔)
A bit of rice. (✔)
A kilo of rice. (✔)
A bag of rice. (✔)
A piece of advice. (✔)
A piece of chalk. (✔)
A pound of butter. (✔)
A spoonful of medicin. (✔)
A ton of coal. (✔)
A gallon of petrol. (✔)
A bottle of whisky/ beer/wine. (✔)
An acre of land. (✔)
A bowl of soup/juice. (✔)
A pound of butter. (✔)
A yard of cloth. (✔)
A piece of evidence. (✔)
A piece of research. (✔)
A block of ice. (✔)
A piece of ice. (✔)
A piece of meat. (✔)
A roast of meat. (✔)
A piece of work. (✔)
A bit of work. (✔)
An attack of fever. (✔)
A bit of passion. (✔)
A piece of writing. (✔)
A word of advice. (✔)
A handful of rice. (✔)
A grain of rice. (✔)
A heap of rubbish. (✔)
A sheet of paper. (✔)
A piece of news. (✔)
An item of news. (✔)
An article of furniture. (✔)
A litre of water. (✔)
A loaf of bread. (✔)

Rule 3 :

‘A/An’ is not used Before ‘Plural Noun’.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
A children	children
A boys	boys
A foxes	foxes
An oxen	oxen
A sheep	sheep
A deer	deer
A people	people
A brothers	brothers

Rule 4 :

‘A/An’ is not used before nouns which used after kind of, sort of, type of, variety of.

Examples :

1. Kind of a dress. (x)
Kind of dress. (✔)
2. Type of a book. (x)
Type of book. (✔)
3. Sort of a radio. (x)
Sort of radio. (✔)
4. Variety of a sheep. (x)
Variety of sheep. (✔)

Note :

A/An can be used before nouns used after-‘kind of, type of, sort of’ in interrogative sentences to show proficiency (दक्षता /प्रवीणता) and ability (योग्यता/सामर्थ्य/शक्ति).

Example :

What kind of a man is he?

But ‘What kind of man is he’ is used to find out business or profession.

Rule 5 :

‘A/An’ is not used before ‘food items’ (names of meals).

Wrong	Right
Give a breakfast	Give breakfast
Give a dinner	Give dinner
Give a lunch	Give lunch
Give a supper	Give supper
Give a tea	Give tea
Have a breakfast	Have breakfast
Have a lunch	Have lunch
Have a dinner	Have dinner
Have a supper	Have supper
Have a tea	Have tea
At a breakfast	At breakfast
At a lunch	At lunch
At a dinner	At dinner
At a supper	At supper
At a tea	At tea
Before a breakfast	Before breakfast
Before a lunch	Before lunch
Before a dinner	Before dinner
Before a supper	Before supper
Before a tea	Before tea
After a breakfast	After breakfast
After a lunch	After lunch
After a dinner	After dinner
After a supper	After supper
After a tea	After tea

But, when an Adjective is used before food items then ‘A/An’ is used.

Examples :

A good dinner (✔)
A nice lunch (✔)
A great supper (✔)
A delicious breakfast (✔)

Rule 6 :

‘A/An’ is not used before nouns which used after ‘post of, rank of, title of, position of, job of’.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
The post of a principal	The post of principal
The rank of a D.S.P.	The rank of D.S.P.
The title of a Netaji	The title of Netaji
The position of a peon	The position of peon
The job of a clerk	The job of clerk

Rule 7 :

If there is only adjective, then ‘A/An’ is not used before it.

Examples :

1. He is an honest (x) (Noun is absent)
He is honest (✔)
2. Maneshwar Babu is a popular in his village. (x)

Maneshwar Babu is popular in his village. (✔)

Rule 8 :

A/An is not used before Nouns which used after Possessive Adjectives.

Note : Possessive Adjectives – My, our, your, his, her, its, their.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
My a shirt	My shirt
Our a country	Our country
Your a pen	Your pen
His a chair	His chair
Her a frock	Her frock
Its a leg	Its leg
Their a book	Their book

Rule 9 :

‘A/An’ is not used before Nouns which used after Demonstrative Adjectives.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
This a house.	This house.
That a book	That book
Any a pen	Any pen
Another a teacher	Another teacher

Rule 10 :

‘A/An’ is not used before Nouns which used after Distributive Adjectives.

Note : Distributive Adjectives- Each, Every, Either, Neither.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
Every a girl.	Every girl.
Each a pen	Each pen
Either a room	Either room
Neither a boy	Neither boy

Rule 11 :

‘A/An is not used in the phrases given below-

Examples :

Wrong	Right
all a winter	all winter
all a week	all week
all a morning	all morning
all a day	all day
all a night	all night
all a afternoon	all afternoon
all a year	all year
all a summer	all summer
all an evening	all evening
go to a zoo	go to the zoo
go to a station	go to the station
go to an airport	go to the airport
at a dawn	at dawn
by a day and a night	by day and night
at a dusk	at dusk
at a daybreak	at daybreak
at a sunset	at sunset
at a sunrise	at sunrise
during a day	during the day

Remember This :

Use of Definite Article (The) :

Rule 1 :

You have to use ‘The’ Before the names of series of mountains.

Examples :

The Vindhyas, The Himalayas, The Alps, The Eastern ghats.

But, ‘The’ is not used before the name of Peaks of Mountains.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
The Mount Everest	Mount Everest
The Mount Abu	Mount Abu
The Nanda Devi	Nanda Devi
The Dhaulagiri	Dhaulagiri
The Annapurna	Annapurna
The Mount Fuji	Mount Fuji
The Mount Olympus	Mount Olympus

Rule 2 :

The is used before the names of the rivers.

Examples :

Names of Rivers With 'The'
The Thames	The Indus
The kango	The Dazala
The Nile	The Kaveri
The Amazon	The Koshi
The Brahmaputra	The Irabdi
The Misisipi	The Tapti
The Yamuna	The Satluj
The Krishna	The Hoogali
The Huang ho	The Danube

Look at These Sentences :

1. West Bengal is on the Hoogali. (✔)
West Bengal is on Hoogali. (x)
2. London is on the Thames. (✔)
London is on Thames. (x)
3. The Ganges is a sacred river. (✔)
Ganges is a sacred river. (x)

Note :

However, when the name of a river is associated with the name of a city which is situated on it, then ‘the’ is not used before the name of that river.

Examples :

1. Kingston-on-Thames (✔)
Kingston-on-the Thames (x)
2. Newcastle-upon Tyne (✔)
Newcastle-upon the Tyne (x)
3. Stratford on Avon (✔)
Stratford on the Avon (x)

Rule 3 :

The is used before the names of seas (सागरों) , oceans ( महासागरों), bay / gulf (खाड़ी).

Examples :

Oceans Names (महासागरों के नाम) :

The Pacific ocean (प्रशांत महासागर)
The Indian ocean (हिन्द महासार)
The Atlantic ocean (अटलांटिक महासागर)
The Arctic ocean (आर्कटिक महासागर)
The Antarctic ocean (अंटार्कटिक महासागर)

Names of Seas (सागरों के नाम) :

The Red sea
The Dead sea
The Arabian sea
The Mediterranean sea
The Caspian sea
The Black sea
The Beaufort sea
The Azov sea

Names of Bays (खाड़ियों के नाम) :

The Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Biscay
The Gulf of Mexico
The Bay of China
The Gulf of Guyana
The Bay of Martavan
The Gulf of St. Lawrence
The Persian Gulf

Note : But, ‘The’ is not used before the ‘Hudson Bay’ (हडसन की खाड़ी).

Rule 4 :

‘The’ is used before the group of islands (द्वीपों का समूह).

Examples :

The Andamans
The West Indies
The East Indies
The Laccadive islands
The Nicobars
The Philippines

Note : But, You should not use ‘The’ before the name of any special island.

Examples :

Wrong	Right
The Java	Java
The Sumatra	Sumatra
The Ceylon	Ceylon
The Sicily	Sicily

Rule 5 :

You should use ‘The’ before the names of ‘canals, aeroplanes, ships and trains’.

Names of canals (नहरों के नाम) :

The Suez canal
The Sharda canal
The Panama canal
The Albert canal
The Soo canal
The Erie canal
The K. P. canal
The Manchester canal

Name of Aeroplanes (हवाई जहाजों के नाम) :

The Makalu
The Kashmir Princess
The Meghdoot

Sea Ships Names (समुद्री जहाजों के नाम) :

The Victoria
The Vikrant
The Queen Marry
The Torry Canyon

Names of Trains (रेलगाड़ियों के नाम)

The Rajadhani Express.
The Punjab Mail
The Toofan Express
The Shramjeevi Express
The Magadh Express
The Pawan Express
The Vikramshila Express

Rule 6 :

‘The’ is used before the Nationality Expressing Word (नागरिकता / राष्ट्रीयता सूचक शब्दों)

Examples :

The Indians	The Nepalese
The Asians	The Americans
The Italians	The Russians
The Japanese	The Pakistanis
The Chinese	The English
The French	The Europeans

Note :

But, when citizenship indicating words are used as Countable Noun, then as per need A/An is also used.

Examples :

With 'A'	With 'An'
A Chinese, A German	An Indian, An Asian
A Nepalese, A Canadian	An Israeli, An Arab
A Swiss, A Portuguese	An African, An Irishman
A Pakistani, A Burmese	An American, An Italian
A Frenchman, A German	An Australian, An Iraqi
A Scot, A Brazilian	An English man

Rule 7 :

‘The’ is used before the names of religious books.

Examples :

Names of Religious Books
The Gita	The Puranas
The Ramayana	The iliad
The Mahabharata	The Paradise Lost
The Bible	The Koran
The Upanishads	The Odyssey

But, if the name of the author is used before the name of religious books, then ‘The’ is not used before the name of religious books.

Examples :

Right	Wrong
Valmiki's Ramayan	Valmiki's the Ramayan
Tulsi's Ramayan	Tulsi's the Ramayan
Homer's iliad	Homer's the iliad
The Ramayan of Valmiki
The Ramayana of Tulsi
The iliad of Homer

Rule 8 :

Before the names of directions ‘The’ is used.

Examples :

The east	The south west
The west	The south-east
The north	The north-west
The south	The upward
The north-east	The downward

Look at these Examples :

The sun rises in east. (x)
The sun rises in the east. (✔)

Note :

(i) But, if the name of any particular place starts with the name of a direction, then ‘The’ is not used before the name of that particular place.

Examples :

With 'The'	Without 'The'
The West Bengal	West Bengal
The North Korea	North Korea
The South Korea	South Korea
The South Africa	South Africa
The North Bihar	North Bihar

(ii) In a special sense, The east, The west are also used to mean Eastern countries and Western countries respectively.

(iii) If adjectives east/west etc + noun are used in a certain name, then use ‘the’ before it.

Examples :

The East / West end
The North / South pole

But – The north of Spain

The Middle East

(iv) When the name of a direction is used as an adverb then ‘the’ is not used. But if the sense of an area is given then ‘the’ is used.

Example :

Go north (Adv.) with he lives in the north (Area).

In the above sentence, First north has been used in the sense of adverb (in a northerly direction), hence ‘the’ is not used and Second north is used in the sense of noun (an area in the north), hence ‘the’ has been used.

Rule 9 :

You should use ‘The’, Before names of desert (मरुभूमि/रेगिस्तान),

Examples :

The Sahara desert.	The Mozab desert.
The Thar desert.	The Gobi desert.
The Karakum desert.	The Arabian desert.
The Somali desert.	The Kalahari desert.

But,

The desert of sahara. (✔)
The desert of Thar. (✔)
The desert of kalahari. (✔)

Rule 10 :

‘The’ is used before the names of religious community (धार्मिक सम्प्रदाय).

Examples :

The Hindus	The Christians
The Muslims	The Jews
The Sikhs	The Persians

Rule 11 :

Before physical position expressing words (भौतिक स्थान सूचक शब्दों), ‘The’ is used .

Examples :

at the top of	on the top of
at the bottom of	the front of
the back of	the centre of
the inside	the outside

But, on top or on top of is also used.

Rule 12 :

‘The’ is used before the names of unique things (अनूठी वास्तुओं) of the word.

Examples :

The sun	The sea
The stars	The ocean
The world	The air
The moon	The wind
The sky	The smoke
The universe	The mountains
The North Pole	The weather
The South Pole	The fog
The earth	The sun shine
The Equator	The town
The Pole Star	The rain

Rule 13 :

You should use ‘The’ before Government branches (सरकार की शाखाओ) or Armed forces (सशस्त्र सैनिकों).

Examples :

The Judiciary	The Navy
The Legislature	The Army
The Executive	The Air Force

Rule 14 :

You should use ‘The’ before the name of, Historical Empire/Historical Caste/Historical Place/Historical Dynasty / Historical Building / Historical Event / Historical Period / Historical Period or age (ऐतिहासिक साम्राज्य/जाति/स्थान/वंश/इमारत/घटना/अवधि/काल ).

Examples :

(i) Historical Empires
The Roman Empire	The Vijay Nagar Empire
The Gupta Empire	The Shake Empire
The Mughal Empire	The Kushan Empire

(ii) Historical caste
The Negroes	The Aryans
The Eskimoes	The Red Indian
The Pigmies

(iii) Historical Place
The Gandhi Maidan	The Pentagon
The Panipat	The pyramid
The Kaba	The White House

(iv) Historical dynasty
The Tudor dynasty	The Solanki dynasty
The Pal dynasty	The Parmar dynasty
The Slave dynasty	The Chola dynasty
The Mauryan dynasty	The Yadav dynasty
The Chandel dynasty	The Chalukya dynasty

(v) Historical buildings
The Golghar	The Taj Mahal
The Pyramids	The Red Fort
The Panch Mahal	The Qutub Minar

(vi) Historical event
The Battle of Panipat	The Civil War
The Russian Revolution	The Industrial Revolution
The French Revolution	The Chinese Revolution

(vii) Historical period/age
The Restoration Period	The Elizabethan Age
The Victorian Age	The prehistoric age
The Middle Ages	The New Stone Age
The Renaissance	The Old Stone Age

Rule (15) :

You should use ‘The’ before the names of political parties (राजनीतिक दलों).

Examples :

The Congress Party	The Communist Party
The Janta Dal	The Samata Party
The Bharatiy Janta Party	The Democratic Party

Rule 16 :

You have to use ‘The’ before the names of musical instruments.

Right	Wrong
The Tabla	Tabla
The Harmonium	Harmonium
The Guitar	Guitar
The Piano	Piano
The Dholak	Dholak
The Violin	Violin
The Trumpet	Trumpet

Examples :

(i) Sudhir Babu cannot play the piano. (✔)
Sudhir Babu cannot play a piano. (x)
Sudhir Babu cannot play piano. (x)

(ii) My elder sister Renu wants to play the dholak. (✔)
My elder sister Renu wants to play a dholak. (x)
My elder sister wants to play dholak. (x)

Note :

If the name of musical instrument is used as countable noun then use A/An before it.

Examples :

(i) He has bought a piano. (✔)
He has bought the piano. (x)
He has bought piano. (x)

(ii)She gave me a harmonium. (✔)
She gave me the harmonium. (x)
She gave me harmonium. (x)

Rule 17 :

The + Some Adjectives, are used as a plural noun to describe a class (वर्ग) of person.

Examples :

The + Adjectives	English Meaning	Hindi Meaning
The rich	rich people	(अमीर लोग)
The poor	poor people	(गरीब लोग)
The lame	lame people	(लंगड़े लोग)
The sick	sick people	(बीमार लोग)
The dumb	dumb people	(गूंगे लोग)
The deaf	deaf people	(बहरे लोग)
The young	young people	(युवा लोग)
The blind	blind people	(अंधे लोग)
The educated	educated people	(शिक्षित लोग)
The wicked	wicked people	(दुष्ट लोग)
The honest	honest people	(ईमानदार लोग)
The dishonest	dishonest people	(बेईमान लोग)

These are Wrong
The riches	The poors
The lames	The sicks
The dumbs	The deafs
The youngs	The blinds
The educateds	The wickeds
The honests	The dishonests

These are Right
A poor man	एक गरीब आदमी
A blind man	एक अंधा आदमी
A rich man	एक अमीर आदमी
An honest man	एक ईमानदार आदमी
A sick man	एक बीमार आदमी

Rule 18 :

‘The’ is used before superlative degree.

Right	Wrong
The tallest man	A tallest man
The fastest train	A fastest train
The happiest man	A happiest man
The most handsome boy	A most handsome boy

Note :

When ‘Most’ is used in the sense of ‘very’ then you can use ‘A’ before it.

Example : This is a most useful river. (most = बहुत)

But when ‘Most’ is used in the sense of ‘major part or majority (अधिकांश)’ then do not use article A/An/The.

Examples :

(i) Most girls are attractive.
अधिकाश लड़कियां खूबसूरत होती हैं।
(ii) Most of the students are laborious.
अधिकांश छात्र परिश्रमी हैं।

Maybe, sometimes readers can consider most, best, nicest, hardest, etc. as superlative form of adjectives. This thinking is correct but actually it is wrong because these are also used as Superlative Adverbs. When these are used as Superlative Adverbs, then do not use ‘The’. But, when these are used as superlative form of adjectives then use ‘The’.

Examples :

(1) What books do you like most? (✔)
What books do you like the most? (x)
(2) Which persons do you like best? (✔)
Which persons do you like the best? (x)

In above examples ‘best or most’ has been used as a Superlative Adverb. Hence, ‘The’ will not use.

Look these sentences :

1. Rishi is best student in his class. (✔)
Rishi is the best student in his class. (x)
2. Alia is the most beautiful girl in the village. (✔)
Alia is most beautiful girl in the village. (x)

In above examples ‘best or most’ has been used as the Superlative form of Adjective. Hence, ‘The’ will use.

Rule 19 :

The is used before Ordinal Adjectives (क्रमसूचक विशेषण).

Note :

Ordinal Adjectives : first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth,… etc., next, last.

Examples :

The first Prime Minister of India.
The last chapter of this book.
The next bus.
The second Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

But ‘The’ is not used before ‘Roman figures’.

Examples :

(i) King George the V (x)
King George V (✔)
(ii) Queen Elizabeth the II (x)
Queen Elizabeth II (✔)

Pay Attention :

The is not used before, Next / Last + time expressing words [समय सूचक शब्दों e.g.- week / month / year / day / night / morning / evening / after noon / noon / midnight / Monday, Tuesday……. etc./ January, February… etc.]

Examples :

Wrong	Right
The last week	Last week
The next month	Next month
The last March	Last March
The next morning	Next morning
The last night	Last night
The next Monday	Next Monday
The next day	Next day
The last year	Last year

Look at these sentences :

(i)The Director comes here next week. (✔)
The Director comes here the next week. (x)
(ii) He came here last night. (✔)
He came here the last night. (x)
(iii) I saw a beggar last Monday. (✔)
I saw a beggar the last Monday. (x)

At first, At last, is used without ‘The’, i.e. At the first, At the last, is not used.
Read and understand the table given below carefully :

With 'The' (period of time)	Without ‘The’ (point of time)
For the last week	Since last week
For the last month	Since last month
For the last year	Since last year
For the last century	Since last century
For the last Monday	Since last Monday or Since Monday last
For the last January	Since January last or Since last January
For the last two days	Since last two days
For the last two weeks	Since last two weeks
For the last two years	Since last two years
For the last two months	Since last two months