ARTICLES

An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, thing, or idea. In English, there are definite (the) and indefinite (a, an) articles.

  • Why we use them?

    Articles are small words ("a," "an," and "the") that we place before nouns to show whether we're talking about something specific or general.

  • When to use them?

    Use "the" for specific items and "a" or "an" for nonspecific items.

 

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

  1. The cat is sleeping on the couch.

  2. She bought a new dress.

  3. He ate an apple.

  4. The book on the table is mine.

  5. An elephant is a large animal.

  6. They saw a movie last night.

  7. The sun is shining brightly.

  8. She has a meeting today.

  9. He found an old coin.

  10. The cake was delicious.

TYPE OF ARTICLES

  • Definite Article: Specifies a particular noun (e.g., the).

  • Indefinite Articles: Refer to a nonspecific noun (e.g., a, an).

USING THE ARTICLE “THE”

ARTICLE: "The"

  • "The" is used when we talk about something specific or already mentioned, or when both the speaker and listener know what it is.

Examples for "The":

  1. The book on the table is mine.

  2. He went to the store for groceries.

  3. They visited the museum downtown.

  4. She took the test yesterday.

  5. I like the new restaurant in town.

USING ARTICLES “A” and “An”

ARTICLES: "A" and "An"

  • "A" and "an" are used when we talk about something in a general or nonspecific way, usually for the first time.

  • "A" goes before words that start with a consonant sound.

  • "An" goes before words that start with a vowel sound.

Examples for "A":

  1. I saw a bird in the tree.

  2. She bought a car last week.

  3. He has a friend who loves sports.

  4. They adopted a kitten yesterday.

  5. We watched a movie last night.

Examples for "An":

  1. I saw an eagle flying.

  2. She gave me an apple.

  3. He wants an answer by tomorrow.

  4. We need an umbrella for the rain.

  5. She made an effort to finish early.

WHEN WE DO NOT USE ARTICLES

There are cases where we do not use articles, such as with personal pronouns, proper nouns, and collective nouns.

  • PERSONAL PRONOUNS

When using personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, or they), we don’t need an article.

Examples:

  1. She went to school.

  2. They visited friends over the weekend.

  3. He took the train home.

  4. We made dinner together.

  5. I need help with this task.

  • PROPER NOUNS

For specific names of people, places, days, or holidays, we don’t use articles.

Examples:

  1. Sarah loves going to the beach.

  2. London is a busy city.

  3. Japan is famous for its technology.

  4. Monday is the start of the week.

  5. Thanksgiving is in November.

  • COLLECTIVE NOUNS

When speaking about items in a general, uncountable way (like water, advice, furniture), we don’t use articles.

Examples:

  1. Water is essential for health.

  2. She gave good advice.

  3. Furniture can be heavy to move.

  4. Rice is a staple food in many countries.

  5. He needs information on the topic.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE

Exceptions to the "A" and "An" Rule

While the general rule is to use "a" before consonants and "an" before vowels, some words are exceptions because we base the article on the first sound rather than the first letter.

Words Starting with Vowels but Use "A"

These words begin with a vowel letter but have a consonant sound at the start, so we use "a."

  • a university (The "yoo" sound is a consonant sound.)

  • a unicorn (Same "yoo" sound.)

  • a European country (The "yoo" sound again.)

  • a one-time event (The "wuh" sound of "one" is treated as a consonant sound.)

  • a useful tool (Starts with a "yoo" sound, a consonant sound.)

Words Starting with Consonants but Use "An"

These words start with a consonant letter but have a vowel sound at the beginning, so we use "an."

  • an hour (The silent "h" makes it start with an "ow" sound.)

  • an honest person (The "h" is silent, so it begins with an "aw" sound.)

  • an heir (The "h" is silent here, too.)

  • an honor (Silent "h" leads to an "aw" sound.)

  • an MBA (The "M" sound is pronounced as "em," a vowel sound.)

Example Sentences

  1. They awarded an honor to the scientist for her work.

  2. She spent an hour reading in the park.

  3. He is pursuing an MBA at the university.

  4. She met a European diplomat at the event.

  5. They discussed a one-time opportunity that might change her career.

  6. He explained a useful technique for memorizing vocabulary.

  7. She has a unique approach to problem-solving.

  8. The organization gave an heir a significant inheritance.

  9. She described a unicorn from the story as magical.

  10. He’s studying a university course in physics.

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