Articles

A, An or The?

Unlike many other languages, we use articles in front of different nouns. Keep in mind that an article is not always required. The three main articles are the, a and an. They are divided into “definite” or “indefinite” forms.

Definite	Indefinite
the	a, an

Definite articles are used to refer to a particular subject that is known. Indefinite articles refer to a general subject.

For example, when you are referring to a certain or specific dog, you might say, “I nearly hit the dog with my car.” If you are referring to dog in general, you’d say, “I almost hit a dog with my car.”

Here are a few more examples:

the (definite)	a, an (indefinite)
She did not like the meal. Jenny cleaned the house. There is ice cream in the freezer. Can you hand me the scissors? The man was in the road.	I would like a meal right now. I hired a maid. I need to buy a freezer. I don’t have an ice cream cone. A man was standing in the road.

The use of the, a and an is dependant on the situation, not the word. For example:

• I am going to get a car today. “A” means any car, not a particular one.
• We are going to get the car today. “The” means that we are going to get a certain car. It is probably the one that is owned by the people referring to it.

Articles With Count(Countable) and Non-Count Nouns

There are various rules for using articles based on count and non-count nouns. Just follow the rules when deciding which one of the three to use.

Count Nouns

• All three articles the, a and an can be used for count nouns.
• All singular count nouns require an article.
• Most of the time use a or an the first time a count noun is used or introduced.
• Use the with count nouns the second and following times after the count noun has been used.

Non-Count Nouns

• All three articles a and an cannot be used for non-count nouns unless there is a container word in front.
• Do not use an article if referring to a non-count noun in general or when it is first introduced.
• Use the with non-count nouns when the subject is known.

Here are a few examples of how to use articles with count and non-count nouns:

• I would like a bike.
• I like the bike in the window.
• Hand me the food on the table.
• Give me an apple to eat.

One of the exceptions is when a non-count noun is being used as a count noun. Here are a few examples:

• She would like to drink the coffee. The is used since the coffee is known. Coffee is a non-count noun in this example.
• I would like a coffee. A is used since it is referring to “a cup of coffee”. The container word cup is implied, making it a count noun. It is better to use container words, but in informal English people do use non-count nouns as count nouns.

A Or An Based On Sound Of The Word

Many students studying English accidently follow the rule that you use a in front of a noun starting with a consonant and an in front of a noun starting with vowel. The rule is:

• Use a in front of words with a consonant sound.
• Use an in front of words with a vowel sound.

The reason the rule states words instead of nouns is due to adjectives or container words that might be placed in front of the noun. Here are a few examples of how to use a or an based on the beginning sound of the word:

• I would like an apple.
• He is a monk.
• She has an unusual nose. An is used since the adjective unusual is in front of the noun nose.
• I visited a European country last year. A is used due to the beginning sound of European, even though it starts with a vowel.

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