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Exception 1: If a noun starts with ‘h’ but the ‘h’ sound is silent or not stressed, indefinite article ‘an’ is used before this type of nouns. e.g.
- He is an honest man.
- It’s an honour to meet you.
Exception 2: If a noun starts with a vowel, but does not have vowel sound, the article ‘a’ is used before the noun. e.g.
- The workers formed a union.
- I enrolled in a university in Delhi.
Exception 3: The definite article should be used before the name of a country or location if it is suggested that other separate areas or regions are part of it. e.g.
- Thar Desert is situated on the Indian subcontinent.
- He lives in the United States.
- Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands.