article

"I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).

"He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

"I need a bottle of water."

"I need a new glass of milk."

Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.

GEOGRAPHICAL USE OF THE

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.

Do not use the before:

names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States

names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami

names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.

names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes

names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn

names of continents (Asia, Europe)

names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

Do use the before:

names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole

geographical areas: the Middle East, the West

deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

OMISSION OF ARTICLES

Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation: "The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")

Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball

Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science

articles

This is a unique way of communicating with birds.

In the examples given below, ‘an’ is used before ‘MBA’ and ‘hour’ though they are words starting with consonants. This is because the word ‘MBA’ starts with ‘m’ which has a vowel sound (em) in the beginning. Likewise, the ‘h’ in the word ‘hour’ is silent, thus having a vowel sound in the beginning.

I have completed an MBA degree.

It took an hour to reach the airport.

Exceptions

Words starting with a vowel, but use ‘a’ instead of ‘an’:

One

University

Unique

Uniform

Unit

Eucalyptus

Utensil

Euro

UFO

Words starting with a consonant, but use ‘an’ instead of ‘a’.

Hour

Honest

Hourly

MBA

MBBS

MA

MSc

MMR

MCom

MLA

NCC

Honorary

X-ray

Xmas

There are also some cases in which you will have to use the indefinite article ‘the’ before a common noun. Look at the following set of sentences to understand how this works.

Example 1: My brother and I are going for a wedding reception. The reception is held in an open lawn at 7 p.m.

Example 2: I saw a dog at the end of the street. The dog came running to me.

Example 3: Tharun watched a movie yesterday. He felt that the movie was too slow.

Examples of Articles

Let us look at a few more examples to find out how articles can be used.

The English teacher is absent today.

I saw a bird sitting on the tree in front of my house.

Not many know how to use an oven properly.

Tom has a cat.

We are going to buy a dress for our daughter.

Carry an umbrella. I am sure it will rain.

Keren found a puppy on the road.

The parents have been asked to attend a meeting tomorrow.

The committee has decided to bring down the fuel rates.

Due to a hartal, the shops have been closed.

History of Drama

. 

1. Where did western theatre probably originate?

Greece

Rome

England

China

2.Q. What was the name of the hymns in honor of the god of theatre?

Peans

Odes

Dithyrambs

Epic

3. Who was the Greek god of theatre?

Apollo

Zeus

Hercules

Dionysus

4.Who was the inventor of both mask and character?

Aeschylus

Thespis

Sophocles

Euripides

5.What were the two main genres of Greek theatre?

Drama and satirical

Comedy and Drama

Tragedy and Comedy

Satirical and Tragedy

6. What did Romans modify from greek theatre?

Chorus and structure

Structure and characters

Chorus and competitions

Characters and competitions

7. Who was the creator of blood theatre?

Plautus

Terrance

Euripides

Seneca

8. What happened to theaters after Rome became Catholic?

They were shut down.

They were modified.

They were reinforced.

They were forgotten.

9. What are morality plays?

Biblical episodes.

Tales of heroes, gods, death, and destiny.

Tales with a moral lesson.

Funny stories about common people.

10. Who were the main English playwrights

Shakespeare, Marlowe, Addison.

Marlowe, Addison, Jonson.

Addison, Jonson, Shakespeare.

Jonson, Shakespeare, Marlowe.

Expansion of Ideas

Expansion of a Theme

WHAT IS EXPANSION OF A THEME?

An idea for expansion may be a proverb, a quotation or a slogan. Primarily the given statement must be expanded by way of explanation of its meaning and other substantial supporting matters.

FORMAT OF AN EXPANSION OF THEME

Broadly speaking, the given statement must be expanded into two paragraphs, each of about 40 to 50 words.

The first paragraph must contain explanatory material.

The second paragraph may contain further details of what is stated in the first paragraph or may even contain anecdotes, examples, illustrations, related quotations, etc.

ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD EXPANSION OF THEME

Arrange the ideas according to logical order of importance.

Avoid stereotyped or hackneyed expressions and irrelevant information.

Frame simple and short sentences.

Enhance your piece of expansion by using idiomatic and figurative language where necessary.

Ensure grammatical accuracy, correct spelling and appropriate punctuation.

Expand the following ideas in a paragraph or two:

Model Example - 1

Where there is a will, there is a way.

"Where there is a will, there is a way' is an old proverb in English which teaches us that "determination' is necessary to get a task completed or a job done. To learn or achieve something in life, will-power acts as a catalyst and enhances the speed of action. So, it is good to have determination even to the smallest tasks in life and never give up easily. All of us wish to achieve many things in life. But usually many of us do not succeed in achieving anything. And often, we tend to curse our fate or misfortune. But the fact is that we have only ourselves to blame for our failures. It is not enough that we wish to achieve something. We should have the proper will-power and the proper drive or determination to carry on with our plans in the face of obstacles. Will-power is the key to the greatest of achievements. The more we are determined to win, the more we are on the road to success.

Model Example - 2

Courage and resourcefulness are the keys to overcome problems. 

Courage is the feeling of daring or the absence of fear or anxiety in doing something, while resourcefulness is the tact or ability with which one performs an act or a deed. Both are essential in overcoming problems. When one is beset with a problem - however small or large, it may be - one must possess the courage to face it with determination and a strong will-power. Therefore, one must assess and analyze the problem to work out the solution. With careful planning and resourcefulness, one can take the necessary steps to solve the problem or overcome an obstacle. Just being laid back and lamenting over one's helplessness will not serve to solve the problem. In fact, it may perhaps compound the problem. Hence, the only reasonable approach would be to have courage and use one's resourcefulness in overcoming the problem satisfactorily

Why human beings need to use more and more natural resources?

Natural resources are all the things available in nature - such as air, water, fruits, etc. - that are freely available for our use. We, human beings, benefit immensely from their use. Developed countries consume these resources more than underdeveloped countries. The three major forms of natural resources available are - food, housing and mobility. The world economy consumes about 60 billion tonnes of natural resources every year. Those countries which have access to natural resources, especially fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, can keep progressing fast, while those, which have limited opportunities to use natural resources are doomed to backwardness. The economic and technological development of countries and the difference in their development depends upon the availability of natural resources. Even the early settlements of people were determined by their natural environment and availability of natural resources, such as water and fertile soil, which people used for their regular life and basic needs. In the course of time, the role of natural resources increased even more because they became essential for the economic development of nations and fast technological progress. The role of natural resources as the major driver of economic and technological development became even more evident in the 20th century. Historically, natural resources played the key part in the economic and technological development of countries and today they still play the crucial part in the development of nations because they determine the competitive position of nations in the global economy.