Using Articles A, An, and The: Part 1

Use a, an or no article with generic nouns. Generic nouns are used to make generalizations.

• Indians are generally friendly.
• A dog is a loyal companion.
• Life is full of surprises.
• An Englishman's home is his castle.
• A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Exception: Sometimes, the is used with generic singular count nouns, specially with inventions and animal species.

• The bengal tiger is an endangered species.
• Do you know who invented the laptop?
• The Ganges river dolphin was officially discovered in 1801
• The African elephant is the largest animal walking the Earth.
• The anemometer is a device that measures the speed of the wind

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