Basics of English

Language
Prepared By:
Ms. Fareeha Umar
(English Language Instructor)
 Alphabets
 Alphabets is defined as a proper system to a
language through which it can communicate.
 There are 26 alphabets in English Language.
 Theses alphabets provides the English
language a proper system through which the
English language is carried out.
 The goal of phonics instruction is to help the
learner to be able to use the Alphabetic
Principle.
 Difference between Phonics &
Alphabets
 The alphabetic principle is the understanding that
there are systematic and predictable
relationships between written letters and spoken
sounds.
 The alphabets are the symbols and phonics are the
sounds produced by these alphabets (symbols)
 A |a| , B |b| , C |c:| , D |d| , E |e| , F |f|, G |g|, etc.
 Categories of the Alphabets
 There are two categories of the Alphabets of
English Language.

1. Vowel

2. Consonant
 Vowel
 In phonetics, A speech sound which is
produced by comparatively open
configuration of the vocal tract.
Or
 A least obstructed speech sound produced by
any of the articulator is a known as a vowel.
 A letter representing a vowel sound, such
as a, e, i, o, u.
 Consonant
 In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is
a speech sound that is articulated with complete
or partial closure of the vocal tract.
Or
 The most obstructed speech sound produced by
any of the articulator is called as a consonant.  
 Other than vowels all the alphabets are
consonants. There are 21 consonant letters in
English.
 Examples
 [p], is pronounced with the lips.
 [t], pronounced with the front of the tongue.
 [k], pronounced with the back of the tongue.
 [h], pronounced in the throat.
 [f] and [s], pronounced by forcing air through a
narrow channel (fricatives).
 [m] and [n], which have air flowing through
the nose (nasals).
Article
 Article
 An article is a word used to modify a noun,
which is a person, place, object, or idea.
 Technically, an article is an adjective, which
is any word that modifies a noun.
 There are 3 Articles in English language that
are: A, An and The/the.
 The learner has to decide noun-by-noun
which one of the articles to use.
 Conti….
 There are two different types of articles that
we use in writing and conversation to point out
or refer to a noun or group of nouns:

1. Definite Article

2. Indefinite Article
 Indefinite Article
 Indefinite articles are the words A and An.
 A and An is the weaker form of one. Whenever
we have to refer a single thing we use A and An.
 Each of these articles are used to refer to a
common noun, but the noun being referred to is
not a specific person, place, object, or idea.
 A is used with Consonants.
 An is used with Vowels.
 Examples
 A Car
 An Event
A Cup
 An Arrow
A Street
 An Ink-pot
A Girl
 An Owl
A Doll
 Conti…..
 the is also an Indefinite Article.
 We use the with the Common Nouns.
 For Example:
the baby
the table
the house
the river
the stone
 Definite Article
 The Definite Article refers directly to a
specific noun or groups of nouns.
 This article is used for the specific or
particular nouns (Proper Noun)
 For Example:
 The Pope is visiting Russia.
The Moon is very bright tonight.
The Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979.
Definite Article with a Superlative
Adjective
The definite article also used with a superlative
adjective:
 For Example:
 He is the tallest boy in the class.
 It is the oldest building in the town.
 Because in this case the superlatives are
specific things having special traits.
The definite article with Proper
Nouns
Countries whose names include words
like kingdom, states or republic:
 The United Kingdom
 The Kingdom of Nepal
 The United States
 The People’s Republic of China.
 The United Arab Emirates
 Conti…..

Countries which have plural nouns as their

names:
 The Netherlands
 The Philippines
 The Indians
 The Japanese
 The Negroes
 Conti…..
Geographical features, such as mountain
ranges, groups of islands, rivers, seas, oceans
and canals:
 The Himalayas
 The Atlantic
 The Atlantic Ocean
 The Amazon
 The Panama Canal.
 Conti…..
Newspapers:
 The Times
 The Washington Post
 The Jang
Well known buildings or works of art:
 The Empire State Building
 The Taj Mahal
 The Mona Lisa
 Conti…..
Organizations:

 The UNO
 The Seamen’s Union
 The WHO