Root Word method to learn English

Words PDF
Published on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 By - Ramandeep Singh

Today I am going to teach you Root Words methods to learn new English

words. There are about 1000 words in my vocabulary list, download it. This
PDF will help you to learn new words through Root Words method.

Download PDF (400+ words)

Download PDF Part 1 (132 words)

Let’s start with Word Root method:

In this, we start with the root word and then add root word to forming different
meaning. 

Root words
1. Thei
Thei   meaning god/religion
Ist         meaning follower
Now adding different words
o Theist meaning the one who believes in god
o Atheist meaning the one who don’t believe in god.
o Monotheist    mono+theist  mono(only one) so monotheist means the one who
believes in one god.
o Polytheist Ploy means many so polytheists means the one who believe in many
gods.
o Pantheist Pan mean all over so pantheist is one who believe in all gods across
al religion.

2. Logy
 Logy means study of something
o Theology - Teho means god or religion so theology means study of
religion
o Anthropology - Anthrop means human being so anthropology means
study of human being.
o Morphology - Morph means structure so morphology means study of
structures.
o Anthropomorphism - Its antrop+morph+ism meaning is giving human
structure to god.
o Zoomorphism - Its zo+morph+ism meaning giving animal structure to
god.
o Amorpic - It’s a+morph means no particular structure.

3. Phobia
Phobia means fear or dislike
o Zoophobia - zoo+phobia means fear of animal
o Androphobia - Andro means boys/male so androphobia means the one
who don’t like boys.
o Gynophobia - Gyno means girl / women so gynophobia means the one
who don’t like girls
o Pedophobia - Pedo means child so pedophobia is the one who don’t
like children’s.
o Demophobia - demo means people so demophobia means the one
who fear of public speaking.
o Anthropophobia - anthro means human being so anthropophobia
mean fear of human being or the one who don’t like the company of
human being or in simple word aloof (living alone)
o Theophobia - theo+phobia means fear of religion

4. Cracy
Cracy means govt /system
o Democracy - demo+cracy means govt of people
o Autocracy - auto+cracy means dictatorship/kingship (when one person
rules the whole government or system)
o Theocracy - Theo+cracy means when government is of religious
people like priest, bishops etc.
o Plutocracy - Pluto means wealthy so plutocracy means when
government is controlled by wealthy people like industrialist.
 o Oligocracy - Oligo means selected few so oligocracy means when
selected few runs the government.
o Mobocracy - Mob means crowd so mobocracy means when crowd
takes over government or in other words lawlessness.
o Monarchy - monarc means top official like king so monarchy is the rule
of king.
o Anarchy - means lawlessness it’s just similar to mobocracy .
o Gerontocracy - geron mean aged/ experienced so gerontocracy means
when position are determined by the experience or the age.
o Meritocracy - merito means performance so meritocracy means when
positon are decided by performance
o Cleptocracy - clepto means thief so cleptocracy means when
government is run by thieves.
o Beaurocracy - beauro means top officials so beaurocracy means when
government is run by top officials.
o Aristocracy - aristo means nobility so aristocracy means when
government is run by noble families.

5. Somnia
Somnia sleepness
Insomnia means lack of sleep
o Somniferous - ferrous means things causing something so
somniferous are the things that cause sleep like pills etc.
o Somnambulist - som+amb+ist here som means sleep ambu means
walk so somnambulist means the one who walk while sleeping.
o Ambulant - means things able to walk
o Somniloquist - loquist means talking so somniloquist means the one
who talks while sleeping.

6. Cious
Cious means to do something
o Loquacious - loquis means talking so lozuacious means the one who
talks a lot
o Voracious - vora means eat so voracious means the one who eats a
lot.
o Avaricious - avari means greed so avaricious means greedy
o Pugnacious - pug means fight so pugnacious means the one who
fights a lot.
 7. Cide
Cide meaning kill/ murder
o Infanticide - infant+cide meaning to kill child. 
o uxoricide - uxor means wife so uxoricide mean A husband who
murders his wife. 
o Mariticide - marit means husband so maritcide mean The murder of a
husband by his wife. 
o Patricide - patri means father so patricide means A person who
murders their father.
o Matricide - matri mean mother so matricide means A person who
murders their mother. 
o Fratricide - frat means brother so fratricide means A person who
murders their brother.

10. Ambul
Walk,move
o Amble- to walk in a slow, relaxed way
o Ambulant- walking or moving
o Ambulance- a vehicle that moves a patient

11. Anim
Life, spirit
o Animal- a living organism;
o Animate- to make alive;
o Equanimity- of balanced spirit

12. Anti
Against, opposite of
o Antibody- a substance that destroys micro-organisms
o Antiseptic- preventing infection;
o Antisocial- opposing social norm

13. Arbour
Tree
o Arborist- someone working with trees
o Arbour- a shady area formed by trees
o Arborous- having many trees
14. Auto
Self, same, one
o Autocrat- a person who governs with absolute power
o Autograph- a person’s own signature
o Automatic- moving by itself

15. Bene
Good, well
o Benefactor- person who gives money to a cause
o Beneficial- producing a good effect
o Benevolent- showing kindness or goodwill

16. Cata
Down, against completely intensive according to
o Cataclysm- a flood or other disaster
o Catalogue- a complete listing
o Catastrophe- turning for the worst, a substantial disaster

17. Cert
sure
o Ascertain- to find out something with certainty;
o Certain- being absolutely sure
o Certify to state that something is true

18. Circum
Around, about
o Circumnavigate- to sail around
o Circumscribe- to draw around
o Circumspect- looking around
o Circumvent- to go around or bypass restrictions;

19. Clar
clear
o Clarification- an explanation
o Clarify- to make something clear
o wish, will to state something clearly
20. Cline
lean
o Inclination- a leaning toward
o Incline- a surface that slopes or leans
o Recline- to lean back and relax

21. Counter
Opposite, contrary, opposing
o Counteract- to oppose the effects of an action
o Countermand- to cancel a previous order
o Counteroffensive- attack against an attack

22. Cranio
skull
o Craniology- the study of skull characteristics;
o Cranium- skull of vertebrates
o Cranial- pertaining to the skull

23. Cred
believe
o Credence- belief that something is true or valid;
o Credulous- believing things too easily, gullible
o  Incredible- unbelievable

24. Crypto
Hidden, secret
o Cryptic- of hidden meaning
o Cryptography- science of secret fcodes
o Encrypt- encode into secret code

25. Cumul
Mass, heap
o Accumulate- to gather or pile up
o Cumulative- gradually building up

26. Cycl
Circle, ring
o Bicycle- a vehicle with two wheels
o Cycle- a sequence that is repeated
o Cyclone- a storm with circling winds

27. Dia
Through, between, apart, across
o Diabetes- disease characterized by excessive thirst and discharge of
urine
o Diagnosis- understanding a condition by going through a detailed
review of symptoms
o Dialog- conversation between two people

28. Dict
speak
o Contradict- to express the opposite of
o Prediction- a statement foretelling the future
o Dictate- to speak out loud for another person to write down.

29. Domin
master
o Dominate- to be the master of
o Domineering- excessively controlling
o Predominate- to have more power than others

30. Ethno
Race, people
o Ethnic- pertaining to a defined group od people
o Ethnocentric- focusing on the ethnicity of people
o Ethnology- the science of people and races.

31. Funct
Perform, work
o Defunct- no longer working or alive
o Function- to work or perform a role normally
o Malfunction- to fail to work correctly.
32. Hetero
Different, other
o Heterogeneous- made up of unrelated parts
o Heteronyms- words with same spelling but different meanings
o Heterodox- not conforming to traditional beliefs

33. Histo
tissue
o Histology- study of the microscopic structure of tissues
o Histochemistry- study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues.

34. Hyper
Too much, over, excessive, beyond
o Hyperactive- very restless
o Hypercritical- too critical
o Hypertension- above normal pressure.

35. Infra
Beneath, below
o Infrastructure- underlying framework of a system
o Infrared- below the regular light spectrum

36. Inter
Between, among, jointly
o International- involving two or more countries
o Intersection- place where roads come together
o Intercept- to stop or interrupt the course of.

37. Junct
join
o Conjunction- a word that joins parts of sentences
o Disjunction- a disconnection
o Junction- a place where two things join.

38. Juven
young
 o Juvenile- youthful or childish
o Rejuvenate- to bring back to youthful strength or appearance.

39. Kilo
thousand
o Kilobyte- 1,000 bytes
o Kilometer- 1,000 meter
o Kilograms- 1,000 grams.

40. Lab
work
o Collaborate- to work with a person
o Elaborate- to work out the details
o Laborious- requiring a lot of hard work.

41. Later
side
o Bilateral- of or involving two sides
o Unilateral- affecting one side of something.

42. Lex
Word, law, reading
o Lexicology- the study and history of words
o Alexia- los of the ability to read
o Illegal- not authorized by the official rules or laws

43. Liber
free
o Liberate- to set free;
o Libertine- a person with a free, wild lifestyle
o Liberty- freedom.

44. Lingu
Language, tongue
o Linguist- one who studies languages
o Multiligual- able to communicate in multiple languages
o Linguine- long flat “tongue- shapes” pasta.
45. Loc
place
o Dislocate- to put something out of its usual place
o Location- a place
o Relocate- to move to a new place.

46. Luc
light
o Elucidate- to explain, to throw light on
o Lucid- easily understood , giving off light
o Translucent- allowing light through

47. Lum
light
o Illuminate- to fill with light
o Lumen- unit measuring light

48. Macro
Large, great
o Macroevolution- large scale evolution
o Macromolecule- a large molecule
o Macroeconomics- study of the overall forces  of economy

49. Mand
To order
o Command- an order or instruction
o Demand- a hard-to-ignore orer
o Mandate- an official order

50. Mania
Madness, insanity, excessive desire
o Bibliomania- a crazy love of books
o Egomania- a mad love of oneself
o Maniac- an insane person

51. Max
greatest
o Maximal- the best or greatest possible
o Maximize- to make as great as possible
o Maximum- the greatest amount.

52. Medi
middle
o Medieval- pertaining to the Middle Ages
o Medium- in the middle
o Mediocre- only of medium (inferior) quality

53. Mega
Great, large, million
o Megalopolis- an area with many nearby cities
o Megaphone- a device that projects a loud voice
o Mega structure- huge building or other structure

54. Meso
middle
o Mesoamerica- Middle America
o Meson- elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a
proton

55. Meta
Change, after, beyond, between
o Metaphysics- study of nature and reality
o Metamorphosis- a complete change of form
o Metastasis- the transmission of disease to other parts of the body

56. Micro
Very small, short, minute
o Microbe- a very small living thing
o Microchip- a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit
o Microscope- a device to see very small things

57. Mid
middle
 o Midriff- the area between the chest and the waist
o Midterm- middle of a term in school
o Midway- halfway between

58. Migr
move
o Immigrant- a person who moves to a mew country to settle
o Migrant- person who moves from place to place
o Migration- the process of moving

59. Milli
One thousandth
o Millimeter- one thousandth of ammeter
o Millibar- one thousandth of a bar
o Millitre- one thousand of a liter

60. Mob
move
o Immobilize- to stop from moving
o Mobile- able to move freely
o Mobility- the equality of being able to move

61. Mort
death
o Immortal- living forever, unable to die
o Mortal- certain to die
o Mortician- an undertaker

62. Multi
Many, more than one or two
o Multi- coloured- having many colours
o Multimedia- using a range of media
o Multi-tasking- doing many things at once

64. Mut
change
o Immutable- not changing
o Mutant- an organism that has undergone change
o Mutate- to undergo a change

65. Narr
tell
o Narrate- to tell a story
o Narrative- a story
o Narrator- a person who tells a story

65. Nat
born
o Innate- included since birth
o Natal- relating to birth
o Natural- gotten a birth, not afterward

66. Nav
ship
o Circumnavigate- to sail around a place
o Naval- relating to a navy or warships
o Navigate- to sail a ship through a place

67.Neg
no
o Negate- to say it didn’t happen
o Negative- meaning “no”
o Renege- to go back on a promise

68. Neo
New, recent
o Neoclassic- a revival of classic form,
o Neo-colonialism- the indirect (“new”) economic and political control of a
region by a more powerful foreign power
o Neonatal- a newborn child, especially first few weeks

69. Non
No, not, without
o Nondescript- with no special characteristics
o Nonfiction- true, real, not made-up
o Non- sense- without sense

70. Not
mark
o Notable- marked as worthy of attention
o Notarize- to certify a signature on a legal document
o Annotate- to add remarks

71. Numer
number
o Enumerate- to name a number of items on a list
o Numerology- the study of magical uses of numbers
o Numerous- a large number

72. Omni
all
o Omnipotent- with all the power
o Omniscient- knowing all things
o Omnivorous- eating all types of foods

73. Ortho
straight
o Orthodontist- a dentist that straightens teeth
o Orthopaedic- a doctor concerned with the proper alignment of the
bones
o Orthography- the correct way of writing

74. Osteo
bone
o Osteoarthritis- inflammation caused by degeneration of the joints
o Osteopathy- therapy that uses among others manipulation of the
skeleton to restore health
o Osteology- the study of bones
75. Out
Goes beyond, surpasses, exceeds
o Outgoing- being of lively, sharing nature
o Outdoing- doing better than
o Outdoor- outside

76. Over
excessive
o Overconfident- more confident than is appropriate
o Overstock- more supplies than is desirable
o Overexcited- more excited than one should be

77. Oxy
sharp

o Oxymoron- combining two ideas that sharply contradict other

o Oxidize- corrode a surface

78. Pan
All, any, everyone
o Panacea- a cure for all diseases or problems
o Panorama- an all- around view
o Pantheism- the worship of all gods
o Pandemic- affecting all

79. Para
Besides, beyond, abnormal, assistant
o Parasite- an organism that lives on and off another living being
o Parallel- alongside and always an equal distance apart
o Paragraph- a portion of a written document that presents a distinct idea

80. Para
Protection from
o Parachute- protection from failing
o Parasol- an umbrella used to protect from the sun

81. Path
Feeling, emotion
o Antipathy- a feeling of great dislike
o Apathy- a lack of feeling or interest
o Empathy- ability to understand another’s feelings

82. Pel
Drive, force
o Compel- to force someone to act
o Expel- to drive someone out of a place
o Repel- to force back

 83. Per
Through, throughout
o Permanent- lasting throughout all time
o Permeate- to spread throughout
o Persist- to continue for a long time
o Perennial- lasting through many years

84. Peri
Around, enclosing
o Periodontal- pertaining to bone and tissue around a tooth
o Peripheral- lying outside of the center
o Perimeter- the outer boundary of an area

85. Phys
Nature, medicine, the body
o Physical- relating to the body
o Physician- a doctor
o Physique- nature and shape of one’s body

86. Poli
city
o Metropolis- a large city
o Politics- actions of a government or political party

87. Poly
Many, more than one
 o Polychrome- with many colours        
o Polyglot- a person fluent in many languages
o Polygon- shape with 3 or more straight sides

88. Pon
People
o Popular- appealing to a lot of people
o Population- all of the people who live in a particular area
o Populist- a supporter of the rights of people

89. Port
carry
o Export- to carry goods out of a place to another
o Portable- able to be carried
o Porter- a person who carries luggage

90. Pos
Place, put
o Deposit- to place or drop something
o Expose- to place out into the open for all to see
o Position- the place where someone is

91. Post
After, behind
o Posthumous- after someone’s death
o Postpone- to get ready in advance
o Postscript- an addition to an already completed document

92. Pre
o Earlier, before, in front of
o Preamble- a part in front of a formal document
o Prepare- to get ready in advance

93. Pro
Before, in front of, for, forward
o Prognosis- a prediction of what will happen
o Prologue- a passage before the main part
 o Prophet- a person who foretells the future

94. Pul
Urge
o Compulsion- a very strong urge
o Expulsion- to kick someone out
o impulsive- having a spontaneous urge to do something

95. Purg
clean
o Purge – abolition,  abstersion, catharsis, clarification, cleaning, cleanup,
coup, crushing, disposal, disposition

96. Put
think
o Computer-an electronic thinking device
o Dispute- to disagree with what another person thinks
o Input- contribution of one’s thinking

97. Quart
fourth
o Quarter- one fourth
o Quart- a fourth of a gallon
o Quartet- a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or
instruments

98. Radio
Radiation, ray
o Radioactive- emitting radiation
o Radiologist- someone diagnosing or treating via radiation

99. Retro
Backward, back
o Retroactive- relating to something in the past
o Retrogress- to go back to an earlier condition
o Retrospect- the remembering of past events
100. Rupt
Break, burst
o Bankrupt- unable to pay because you’re “broke”
o Interrupt- to break into a conversation or event, to disturb;
o Rupture- a break in something

101. San
health
o Sane- mentally healthy
o Sanitary- relating to cleanliness and health
o Sanitation- maintenance of public health and

102. Scend
Climb, go
o Ascend- to climb upward
o Crescendo- a climbing up of the volume of music
o Descend- to go or climb down

103. Sect
cut
o Dissect- to cut apart piece by piece
o Intersection- the place or point where two things cross each other
o Bisect- to cut into two equal parts

104. Self
Of , for, or by itself
o Self- discipline- the ability to discipline yourself
o Self- respect- respect for yourself
o Selfish- concerned only with your own interest

105. Sex
six
o Sextet or sextets- a  composition or group of six
o Sextuple- six fold
o Sexagenarian- person in his/her sixties

106. Sol
alone
o Desolate- lonely, dismal, gloomy
o Solitary- done  alone , by yourself
o Solo- a performance done by one person alone

107. Sol
sun
o Solar- involving the sun
o Parasol- umbrella protecting from the sun
o Solarium- a room where one is exposed to sun light

108. Son
sound
o Consonant- a speech sound
o Sonorous- producing loud, full, rich sounds

109. Soph
wise
o Philosopher-a wise person
o Sophisticated- wise about the ways of the world
o Sophism- a clever but misleading argument

110. Sphere
ball
o Biosphere- the whole round surface of the earth
o Hemisphere- half the earth spherically shaped like a ball

111. Spir
breathe
o Inspire- to stimulate or animate
o Transpire- to give of vapour with waste product through the skin or a
membrane
o Spirit- invisible life force

112. Sta
stand
o Stable- standing steady and firm
 o Stagnant- standing still, not moving
o Stationery- at a standstill , fixed.

113. Stell
star
o Constellation- a group of stars that forms a pattern
o Interstellar- between the stars
o Stellar- relating to stars

114. Struct
build
o Construct- to build
o Destruction- the act of destroying something that was built structure
something built
o Infrastructure- underlying framework off a system

115. Sub
Under, lower than, inferior to
o Submarine- an underwater boat
o Submerge- to put underwater
o Substandard- inferior to accepted standards

116. Sum
highest
o Sum- the combined total of everything
o Summation- the total, highest amount
o Summit- the highest point or top

117. Super
Higher in quality or quantity
o Super bowl- the final annual football game
o Superior- above average , better in quality
o Supersonic- faster than the speed of sound

118. techno
Technique, skill
o Technology- the practical application of knowledge
 o Technocracy – rule of technology
o Technologically- characterized by technology

119. Tetra
four
o Tetrapod- having 4 legs
o Tetrarchy- government by 4 rules
o Tetrose- a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms

120. Tort
twist
o Contortion- a twisted shape or position
o Distort- to alter the shape or condition of
o Retort- reply in a manner that is supposed to change the effect of
something previously said

121. Tox
poison
o Detoxification- the process of removing poison
o Toxic- poisonous
o Toxicology- the study of poisons
o Intoxicated- influenced by drugs

122. Tract
Pull, drag
o Attract- to pull objects nearer
o Distract- to drag attention away from something
o Tractor- a motor vehicle that plus things

123. Trans
Across, beyond, through
o Transcontinental- across the continent
o Transfer- to move from one place to another
o Transport- to carry something across a space

124. Tri
Three, once in every three, third
 o Triangle- a figure with 3 sides and 3 angles
o Triathlon- an athletic contest with 3 events
o Tricycle- a 3- wheel vehicle with pedals

125. Ultra
Beyond, extreme,more than
o Ultrahigh- extremely high
o Ultramodern- more modern than anything else
o Untrasonic- sound waves beyond human hearing

126. Un
Not, opposite of, lacking
o Unabridged- not shortened
o Unfair- opposite of fair
o Unfriendly- lacking friendliness

127. Uni
One, single
o Unicycle- a vehicle with one wheel
o Unilateral- decided by only one person or nation
o Unique- the only one of its kind
o Unison- as one voice

128. Urb
city
o Suburb- residential area on the edge of a city
o Urban- relating to a city
o Urbanology- the study of city life

129. Vac
empty
o Evacuate- to empty a dangerous place
o Vacant- empty, not occupied
o vacation- a time without work

130. Verb
word
 o Verbalize- to put into words
o Adverb- a word relating to a verb
o Proverb- a short saying that expresses a well-known truth

131. Vice
Acting in place of, next in rank
o Vice- president- the person next in rank to the president

132. Vid
see
o Evident- clearly seen

Error Spotting Rules with Examples :

PDF
Published on Saturday, December 10, 2016 By - Deepak Kumar

Hi readers,
Here given basic rules which are useful for spotting errors.

==>> Must read : Error Spotting Techniques for Bank Exams

Spotting the errors are interrelated with the grammatical formation which
further relates to the parts of speech. Usually, the error may be pertaining to
the usage of parts of speech, which can be broadly described under the
following points.

Essential Points
1. Articles Comprising the usages of A, An and The
2. Noun Kinds of Noun, Gender, Number, Person, Noun case etc.
3. Pronoun Cases, kinds of Pronoun, different forms and its appropriate rules
likewise, Some, Who, What, Which, That, Whose, Any, Whom, Each, Other,
One other etc.
4. Adjective Kinds of Adjective and its patterns, various usage like positive,
Comparative, Superlative degrees etc.
5. Adverb Kinds of Adverb and its appropriate usages, comprising certain
forms.
6. Tenses Grammatical rules of entire tenses (Present, Past, Future,
Translation) and its appropriate application.
7. Preposition Various usages of Preposition In, On, Over, Into, Out, Behind,
Among, Over, Off, At, Of, Across, Under etc.
8. Conjunction Its various usages basically, Neither ….. nor, Either …… or,
Because, Not only ……. but also, Scarcely, Barely, Hardly, When, Although,
But, And, No sooner ……. than, such ……. as, So …… that etc.
9. Subject-verb Agreement It is one of the crucial parts, which a candidate
should keep focus upon and they should learn the correct grammatical co-
ordination of subject and verb.

How to solve questions relating to Spotting Errors?

In the examination of Bank PO, the question paper of English usually,
contains questions relating to Spotting Errors. Sentences are usually divided
into four parts marked A, B,C, and D. ‘E’ refers to ‘No error’. The candidates
are required to find out the part which has an error. The error may be relating
to the usage of; Article, Preposition, Tense, Verb, Noun, Pronoun, Adverb,
Adjective, Conjunction, Subject-verb agreement etc. Sometimes the error may
also be that of English expressions or superfluous use of some words.
                                    You should have a good command over rules of
grammar and their applicability. Learn the rules well and then try to attempt
these questions. The more you practice the more confidence you get. Just
cramming the rules will not solve your problem. Do solve the exercises, again
and again, you will surely find improvement in your scoring.

Rules and Correct Use of Articles

Use of ‘A’/’An’
Article A or An is used before a singular noun. The choice between A or An is
determined by the first sound of pronunciation (not by the letter of alphabet
even it may be A, E, I, O, U) of the noun. If it is pronounced with a vowel
sound, use An otherwise A.

Look at the following sentences

a) He is an honest man.
b) He is a European.
c) He is an MLA.
d) He is an SDO.

The following words and the use of ‘A’ or ‘An’ before them. Students generally
make mistake using A or An before these words.
1. An hour
2. An hourly morning
3. An hour’s daybreak
4. An honor
5. An honorary post
6. An honorable person
7. An honest man
8. An heir
9. An honorarium
10. A house
11. A historical fair
12. A humble person
13. A husband
14. A heinous crime
15. A young man
16. A ewe
17. A university
18. A unity
19. A union
20. A eulogy
21. A one rupee note
22. A one eyed man
23. A uniform
24. A useful book
25. A useful feature
26. A unique decision
27. A united front
28. A unified plan
29. A year
30. A USA ally
31. An FO
32. A forest officer
33. An MP/ MLC
34. A member of society
35. An IAS/ IPS/ ILO
36. An SP/ SDO
37. An M.A./M.Sc
38. An RTS/ RTC
39. An RC worker
40. A UK ship/ European

‘The’- Definite Article

The definite Article ‘The’ is used in following cases

1. While speaking of a particular person or thing or one already referred to.

Example She found a purse. The purse contained a golden chain. The golden
chain is very precious.
2. When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole category/ class :
Example The dog is a faithful animal.

3. ‘The’ is used before superlatives.

Example She is the most beautiful girl in our college.

4. ‘The’ is used with the names of renowned building , gulf, river, ocean, sea
etc.
Example The TajMahal, The Persian Gulf, The Char Minar, The Pacific, The
Ganges, The Red Sea, The Yamuna, The Thames.

5. ‘The’ is placed only before the plural names of islands and the mountain
ranges, chains of mountains, plural names of countries.
Example The Netherlands, The Philippianes, The Bahamas, The Laccadive
islands, The Himalayas, The Alps etc.

‘The’ is not used before the names of countries but if the name of the country
contains words like; States, Kingdoms, Republic, we use ‘the’ before them.
e.g. The USA, The USSR, The Republic of Ireland, The Dominican Republic.’

6. ‘The’ is used before names consisting of adjective + noun (Provided the

adjective is not east-west etc)
Example The Arabian Gulf, The New Forest, The High Street

7. ‘The’ is also used before names consisting of noun + of + noun.

Example The cape of Good Hope, The Boy of Biscay, The Gulf of Mexico

8. ‘The’ is used before the adjectives east/west etc. + noun in certain names.
Example The East/West End, The East/West Indies, The North/South Pole

9. ‘The’ is also used before the name of directions.

Example The East, The West, The North, The South
10. ‘The’ is used before then name of persons (Family) in plural.
Example The Raymonds, The Ambanis, The Birlas

11. Before the names of important and renowned books.

Examples
a) The Kuran b) The Ramayana c) The Mahabharata
But we say- Homer’s Iliad, Valmiki’s Ramayana, Jaidev’sGeetGovind.

12. Before such common nouns that are names of things unique of their kind.
Example The Sun, The Earth, The sky, The world, The sea, The environment

Examples
a) The sky is dark and the moon is shining.
b) The sea seems calm today.

                    

i) In the following cases, we do not use ‘The’ before ‘Sea’

a) We go to sea as sailors.
b) He is at sea now-a-days. (on a voyage)
ii) We can use ‘the’ before ‘Space’ if it means place.

He tried to park his car there but the space was too small. But if it means area
beyond the earth’s atmosphere, do not use ‘the’ before it.
Example There are lacs of stars in space.

13. Before terms referring Nationality or Community.

Example The Indian, The French, The American, The English

14. Before a proper noun, only when it is qualified by an adjective.

Example The great Caesar, The immortal Shakespeare, The brave Napolean.

15. With ordinals like.

Examples
a) He was the first man to stand up.
b) The sixth chapter of this book is very interesting.
First, second, third …….are called ordinals.
One, Two, Three ……..are called cardinals.

16. Before Musical instruments and name of Inventions.

Examples
a) He can play the flute/ the table/ the harmonium well.
b) Who invented the telephone?

17. Before an adjective, when the noun represents a class of persons.

Examples
a) The young will support the motion.
b) The poor can be trusted.

18. Before a common noun to give it the meaning of an abstract noun.

Examples
a) The moralist in Gandhi, revolted against the injustice.
b) The judge in her prevailed upon the wife and she sentenced her husband to
prison.

19. ‘The’ is used before name of Newspaper, Community, Political Party,

Historical event, Train, Ship, Aeroplane etc.

20. When two or more nouns refer to one person, put ‘the’ before the first
noun only. If both the nouns refer two different persons or thing, ‘the’ is used
before both of them.
Example
a) The producer and financier was present there.
(Producer and financier is one person)
b) The producer and the financier were present there.
(Producer and financier are two different persons)
21. ‘The’ is used as an adverb with a comparative.
Examples
a) The more she gets the more she demands.
b) The sooner you complete the better it is.

22. ‘The’ is used before comparative degree being used for selection or
comparison.
Examples
a) He is the stronger of the two.
b) This is the better of the two novels.

23. When a person being referred by his designation, ‘the’ is used. The
Chairman, The Director, The President, The Chancellor.
Example All financial decisions will be taken by the chairman.

24. When the thing referred is understood.

Examples
a) Kindly return the book. (That I gave you)
b) Can you turn off the light? (The light in the room.)

25. ‘The’ is used in some phrases also.

Examples
a) What is the matter?
b) Come to the point.
c) She came to the rescue.
d) Keep to the left.
e) The market is hot with the rumour.
f) He is in the wrong.

26. In phrases; Go to the cinema, Go to the theatre ‘the’ is used.

Examples
a) He went to the cinema yesterday.
b) She is going to the theatre.

27. Before the names of Committee, Club, Foundation and Trust.

Examples The Lions Club, The Rotary Club, The United Nation, The WHO,
The Ford Foundation, The Rajiv Gandhi Trust etc.

28. Letters written to two or more unmarried sisters jointly may be addressed:
The Misses + Surname
The Misses Smith.

Zero Article Situation

Students should learn the following points carefully to avoid the wrong use of
articles.
Articles the wrong use of articles.
Article is omitted in following cases

1. before a proper noun

Example Akbar was a great king.

When ‘Article’ is used before a proper noun, it becomes a common noun.

Examples
a) Mumbai is the Manchester Of India.
b) This man is a Second Sachin.

2. before a Common Noun, used in its widest sense.

Examples
a) Man is mortal.
b) What kind of bird it is?
3. before Plural Nouns referring a class in a general sense.
Examples
a) Bankers are generally honest.
b) Lawyers are generally intelligent.

4. before Abstract Nouns that express qualities, state, feeling, actions.

Examples
a) Honesty is the best policy.
b) Virtue is its own reward.

When abstract nouns, instead of referring qualities, express person or things

possessing such qualities or express of definite objects. They are preceded
by Article.

Examples
a) She possesses the cunningness of a fox. (Here cunningness refers the
quality of a definite object that is ‘for’)
b) He is a justice of peace. (‘Justice’ stands for judge)

5. before Material Nouns

Examples
a) Iron is a hard metal.
b) Silver is a semi-precious metal.

When material noun expresses things instead of the matter of which they are
made they are representing ‘common noun’, so they can be preceded by the
Article.
Examples
a) He threw a stone on the cow.
b) She threw a stick at the pig.

6. before names of diseases like Fever, Cholera, Consumption etc.

(But if the names of diseases are plural in their form, the article is generally
used as : the measles, the mumps.)

7. before name of regular meals.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Example He was invited to dinner.
(But if the meal becomes particular article is used)
Example The dinner hosted by the queen was superb.

8. before name of things single in kind; Hell, Heaven, God, Parliament,

Paradise (But ‘The Pope’, ‘The Devil’ are exceptions)
Examples
a) He was condemned to hell.
b) The Pope delivered a religious speech.

9. before names of ‘Languages’ or ‘colors’

Examples
a) I do not know ‘Hindi’ but know ‘English’.
b) I like red and blue colours.

10. before certain titles and names indicating the relationship.

Emperor Ashoka, President Bush, DewanBahadur.
Examples
a) Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth’s son.
b) President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
c) Dr. Watson was ‘Sherlock Holmes’ friend.
d) He is Duke of York.
(But : the queen of England, the pope are exceptions)
11. before a noun following the expressions ‘kind of’
Examples
a) What kind of girl is she?
b) What kind of boy is he?

12. In certain phrases.

To take breath, to set sail, to leave school, to lay siege, to catch fire, at home,
in hand, at school, by water, at sunset, on earth, by land, by train, by car, on
demand, in debt, in jest etc.

13. before nouns, which are plural in their meanings, though singular in form.
Cattle, gentry, furniture, scenery, advice, information.

14. before names of public institutions (Church, School, University, Prison,

Hospital, Court etc.) if they are used, for the purpose they exist rather than
actual building.

Example He went to church. (It means he went to church for saying his
prayer)

He went to church and from there he took a bus. [Means that he went to the
place where building of the church is situated]

15. When two or more descriptive adjectives qualify the same. noun and
adjectives are connected by ‘and’ the Article is used before the first adjectives
only.
Example This is a Hindi and English Dictionary.
(Here dictionary is one)

16. If two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the article is used before
the first noun only, but if they refer to different persons or things, the article
must be used with each noun.
Examples
a) He is a better soldier than statesman.
b) He was a greater soldier than a stateman.
17. Article is omitted after the possessive case.
Example His brother’s car, Peter’s house.

18. Article is omitted with professions.

Examples
a) Engineering is a useful career
b) He’ll probably go into medicine.

19. Article is omitted with years.

Examples
a) 1947 was a wonderful year.
b) Do you remember 2000.

20. No article is used before names of games, sports.

Examples
a) I am playing cricket.
b) He is fond of playing tennis.

21. No article is used before a noun when it is modified by either possessive

adjective or a demonstrative adjective.
Examples
a) Do you like my shirt? (Possessive adjective ‘my’)
b) I like this pen. (Demonstrative adjective ‘this’)

22. No article is used before a noun when it is preceded by a distributive

adjective.
Examples
a) Every student got prize. (Distributive adjective ‘every’)
b) Each student was present in the hall. (Distributive adjective ‘each’)

23. No article is used before number + noun.

Examples
a) The train arrives at platform 7.
b) I want shoes in size 10.
24. Work (=place of work) is used without definite article ‘the’.
Examples
a) He is on his way to work.
b) She is at work.
c) They haven’t back from work yet.

25. Office (=place of work) needs ‘the’: He is at/ in the office. To be in office
(without the) means to hold an official (usually political) position.
To be out of office= to be no longer in power.

26. Definite article ‘the’ is omitted when speaking of the subject’s or speaker’s
own town.
Examples
a) We go to town sometimes to meet our mother.
b) We went to town last year and remained there for a week.

27. ‘Nature’ when means environment, do not use article before it.
Example If you interfere with nature you will suffer for it.

28. No article is used before names of ‘season’.

Examples
a) In Spring we like to clean the house.
b) She is planning to visit her parents in winter.

29. Definite article ‘the’ is not used before ‘Times of day’.

Examples
a) We travelled mostly by night.
b) We’ll be there around midnight.
                                  

30. Names without ‘the’

Names of many places especially names of important buildings and
institutions consist of two words. First word is usually the name of a person or
a palace, we do not use ‘the’ before such names usually.

Example Delhi Airport, Victoria Station, London Zoo, Jaisingh Palace, Indira

Gandhi Airport, Edinburgh Castle, Jaipur Palace etc.

31. Usually no article is used with the name of Airlines, Companies.

British Airways, Sony, IBM, KODAK, Indian Airlines etc.

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