A, An, The -Engish Articles
Articles are small words that belong to nouns.
In English, we have 3 articles: "a," "an," and "the."
Let's learn when to use each one!
A and An (also called indefinite articles)
"A" and "An" are used for singular nouns when we're talking about something for the first time or something that's not specific.
Use "a" before words that start with a consonant sound (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,t,v,w,x,y,z):
- I have a dog.
- She bought a new car.
- He's eating a banana.
Use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound (a,e,i,o,u,):
- I saw an elephant at the zoo.
- She's reading an interesting book.
- He needs an umbrella.
Remember, it's the sound that matters, not always the letter, so we have some exceptions to the rule:
- He's an honest man. (The "h" is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound)
- I'll be there in an hour. (The "h" is silent, so "Hour" starts with a vowel sound)
- She's a university student. ("University" starts with a "yu" sound, which is like a consonant)
The (also called definite article)
"The" is used when we're talking about something specific or something that has been mentioned before. We can use it with singular and plural nouns.
Use "the" when there's only one of something:
- The sun is very bright today.
- The President of the United States lives in the White House.
Use "the" when you've already mentioned something:
- I saw a cat. The cat was black. (We use "the" because we've already mentioned the cat)
Use "the" when it's clear which one you mean:
- Please close the door. (When it's clear which door you mean)
- I'm going to the store. (When the listener knows which store you mean)
No Article
Sometimes, we don't use any article:
With plural nouns talking about things in general:
- I like dogs. (Not a specific dog, but dogs in general)
- Apples are good for you.
With uncountable nouns in general:
- Water is important for life.
- I love music.
Tip:
Articles don't always go directly before nouns. They can also go before adjectives or other words that modify nouns. The choice of "a" or "an" depends on the beginning sound of the following word.
Here's a more accurate explanation:
Articles (a, an, the) typically go at the beginning of a noun phrase. This means they can appear:
Directly before a noun:
- I saw a cat.
- The book is on the table.
Before adjectives that describe the noun:
- She bought an expensive car.
- I read the interesting article.
Before other words (modifiers of the noun):
- He's a very talented musician.
- The extremely tall building is a skyscraper.
So, while articles are always associated with nouns, they don't always appear immediately before the noun itself.
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