A vs.

An

USE 1

The article A is used before singular, countable nouns which begin with consonant
sounds.

Examples:

 He is a teacher.
 She doesn't own a car.
 I saw a bear at the zoo.

USE 2

The article AN is used before singular, countable nouns which begin with vowel sounds.

Examples:

 He is an actor.
 She didn't get an invitation.
 I saw an eagle at the zoo.

USE 3

Remember that A(AN) means "one" or "a single". You cannot use A(AN) with plural
nouns.

Examples:

 I saw a bears in Yellowstone National Park. Not Correct

 I saw bears in Yellowstone National Park. Correct

USE 4

If there is an adjective or an adverb-adjective combination before the noun, A(AN)

should agree with the first sound in the adjective or the adverb-adjective combination.

Examples:
  He is an excellent teacher.
 I saw a really beautiful eagle at the zoo.

USE 5

Use A before words such as "European" or "university" which sound like they start with
a consonant even if the first letter is a vowel. Also use A before letters and numbers
which sound like they begin with a consonant, such as "U", "J", "1" or "9". Remember, it
is the sound not the spelling which is important. For example, "1" is spelled O-N-E;
however, it is pronounced "won" like it starts with a "W".

Examples:

 She has a euro. Sounds like "yu-ro".

 That number is a "1". Sounds like "won".

USE 6

Use AN before words such as "hour" which sound like they start with a vowel even if the
first letter is a consonant. Also use AN before letters and numbers which sound like they
begin with a vowel, such as "F" or "8". Remember, it is the sound not the spelling which
is important. For example, "F" is pronounced "eff" like it starts with an "E".

Examples:

 I only have an hour for lunch. Sounds like "au-er".

 Does his name begin with an "F"? Sounds like "eff".

USE 7

Some words such as "herb" or "hospital" are more complicated because they are
pronounced differently in different English accents. In most American accents, the "h" in
"herb" is silent, so Americans usually say "an herb". In many British accents, the "h" in
"herb" is pronounced, so many British say "a herb". In some British accents, the "h" in
hospital is silent, so some British will say "an hospital" instead of "a hospital".

USE 8
In English, some nouns are considered uncountable such as: information, air, advice,
salt and fun. We do not use A(AN) with these uncountable nouns. (Learn more about
countable and uncountable nouns.)

Examples:

 She gives a good advice. Not Correct

 She gives good advice. Correct

USE 9

A and AN are called indefinite articles. "Indefinite" means "not specific". Use A(AN)
when you are talking about a thing in general, NOT a specific thing.

Examples:

 I need a phone. Not a specific phone, any phone

 Mark wants a bicycle. Not a particular bicycle, a bicycle in general
 Do you have a driver's license? In general

Use A(AN) when talking about a thing which is new, unknown, or introduced to a
listener for the first time. Also use A(AN) when you are asking about the existence of
something.

Examples:

 I have a car. The car is being introduced for the first time.
 Tom is a teacher. This is new information to the listener.
 Is there a dictionary in your backpack? Asking about the existence of the
dictionary

Similarly, use A(AN) to introduce what type of thing we are talking about.

Examples:

 That is an excellent book. Describing the kind of book

 Do you live in a big house? Asking about the kind of house
 I ate a thick, juicy steak. Describing the kind of steak
REMEMBER: You cannot use A(AN) with plural nouns because A(AN) means "one" or
"a single".

Examples:

 I saw a bears in Yellowstone National Park. Not Correct

 I saw bears in Yellowstone National Park. Correct

USE 10

THE is called a definite article. "Definite" means "specific". Use THE when talking about
something which is already known to the listener or which has been previously
mentioned, introduced, or discussed.

Examples:

 I have a cat. The cat is black.

 There is a book in my backpack. The book is very heavy.
 Do you know where I left the car keys? The listener knows which specific car
keys you are talking about.
 Do you own a car? Is the car blue? You assume they do have a car after asking
about it in the first sentence.
 Nobody lives on the Moon. The Moon is known to everyone.

IMPORTANT: You can use THE with both singular nouns and plural nouns.

Examples:

 I saw the bear in Yellowstone National Park. Correct

 I saw the bears in Yellowstone National Park. Correct

USE 11

Many clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener by telling the listener
which person or thing we are talking about. Let's look at an example sentence:

Can you give me the book on the table.

We use THE in this sentence because the phrase "on the table" tells the listener which
book we are referring to. We are not talking about other books, we are talking about a
specific book that the listener can see or already knows about. Learning to recognize
such identifying clauses and phrases will help you use THE correctly.

Examples:

 Did you read the book which I gave you?

 He didn't like the movie that you suggested.
 He loved the dessert with chocolate and cherries.
 The phone on my desk belongs to Ken.
 Did you know the man who was talking to Leonie?

HOWEVER: Not all clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener. Some
are simply descriptive. They add extra information, but they do not tell the listener which
specific thing we are talking about.

Examples:

 He bought the house with a big backyard. This combination tells the listener
which specific house he bought.
 He bought a house with a big backyard. This combination tells the listener what
kind of house he bought, but not the specific house he bought.

USE 12

A(AN) can be used like the word "per".

Examples:

 Apples currently cost $1.30 a pound.

 Cheetahs can run 60 miles an hour.
 You want $150 a person for the tour?

USE 13
Use THE with nouns modified by ranking or ordering expressions such as "the first",
"the second", "the third", "the next", "the last", "the previous", "the following", "the
penultimate", etc.

Examples:

 This is the fifth day of our conference.

 I'll pay the next time we have dinner.
 Don't forget the following rule.

USE 14

Use THE with superlatives such as "the best", "the biggest", "the most important", "the
least interesting", etc.

Examples:

 This is the best day ever.

 That is the most expensive hotel room I've ever heard of in my life.
 He told the funniest joke!

Comparative forms, such as "bigger", "better", "more" can be used with both A(AN) and
THE and follow general article usage.

Examples:

 I like the bigger roller coaster.

 He has a more expensive car than I do.

HOWEVER: THE is often used with comparative forms (bigger) rather than superlative
forms (biggest) when comparing only two things. This is commonly used in phrases
such as "the bigger of the two".

Examples:

 Jessie and Shauna are both smart. But I think Shauna is the smarter of the two.
 Between Jason's son and his daughter, his daughter is the better athlete.

USE 15
Do not use articles when generalizing about uncountable nouns and plural countable
nouns.

Examples:

 Curiosity is a great trait. Uncountable

 Water is an important resource. Uncountable
 Vegetables are good for you. Plural countable

USE 16

English speakers often use THE plus a singular noun when they talk about or make
generalizations about certain topics, including:

 musical instruments (the piano, the guitar, the flute)

 plants (the coconut palm, the saguaro, the baobab)
 animals (the leopard, the elephant, the lowland gorilla)
 inventions (the steam engine, the plane, the light bulb)
 currencies (the dollar, the euro, the yen)
 body parts (the head, the eye, the ear)

Examples:

 I play the piano.

 The sequoia tree is native to California.
 The dolphin is a very intelligent animal.
 The Wright brothers invented the airplane.
 Right now, the euro is stronger than the dollar.
 Cheryl got poked in the eye.

In general, English speakers choose to use THE in this way to give the noun a more
abstract or conceptual sound. We choose to say "the piano" to make it sound more like
an abstract art form. Similarly, "the dolphin" sounds more like we are referring to the
species. Moreover, "the plane" has a more conceptual sound that conveys the idea of
invention. But remember, you can also make generalizations about these topics using
plurals as in USE 15.

USE 17
The expressions "a few" and "a little" mean "some" and express the idea that you have
more than expected.

Examples:

 He always carries a few dollars for emergencies.

 He had a little difficulty with his homework.
 She has a few friends who can help her move.

HOWEVER: The expressions "few" and "little" (without an article) mean "not much" and
express the idea that you have less than expected.

Examples:

 Unfortunately, I had little time to enjoy New York because I had to work so
much.
 Sadly, he has few people in his life.
 They have little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition.

BUT REMEMBER: When the words "only" or "just" are used, "a few" and "a little" also
emphasize the meaning "not much".

Examples:

 Unfortunately, I only had a little time to enjoy New York because I had to work
so much.
 Sadly, he just has a few people in his life.
 They only have a little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition.

USE 18

Generally, articles are not used with the names of illnesses or diseases.

Examples:

 Dr. Smith visits schools and universities to educate students on AIDS.

 Oncologists are doctors who specialize in treating cancer.
 There are several medications that can be used to treat malaria.
HOWEVER: There are some illnesses which require THE.

 the measles
 the flu
 the mumps
 the bubonic plague

MOREOVER: There are a few health conditions or illnesses which can be used with
both A(AN) as well as THE and follow general article use. This category includes most
aches, pains, growths, and attacks.

 a cold
 a heart attack
 a stroke
 a wart / tumor / growth / etc.
 a sore throat / sore back/ sore foot / etc.
 a headache / toothache / backache / etc.

REMEMBER: This last category follows general article use. Study the examples below.

Examples:

 John has a cold. The cold was pretty bad.

 Nancy had a heart attack. The heart attack seriously weakened her heart.
 Deb had a sore throat. The sore throat made it hard to talk.

USE 19

If a direction (north, west, southeast, left, right) directly follows a verb, do not use an
article with the direction.

Examples:

 We need to walk south.

 They drove north all day.
 At the stop sign, turn left and walk three blocks.

HOWEVER: If a direction follows a preposition, you must use THE.

Examples:

 We need to walk to the south.

 Our house is in the north.
 The grocery store is on the right.

MOREOVER: Use THE with compass directions when referring to them as special
geographic or cultural regions.

Examples:

 We love the South.

 Have you ever visited the East?
 The West has better national parks.

USE 20

THE can be used with plural family names to refer to the family as a group.

Examples:

 The Robinsons love to vacation in Florida.

 The Shinoharas are originally from Japan.
 My brother lives next door to the Jacksons.

USE 21

THE can be combined with certain adjectives to refer to a group of people such as "the
blind", "the elderly", "the rich", "the French", "the Sioux", etc.

Examples:

 He is elderly. Adjective
 The organization helps the elderly. Elderly people

REMEMBER: This is especially important in situations where nationalities or ethnic

groups and their languages might be confused. In such situations, THE is used to
specify that we are talking about the nationality or ethnic group rather than the
language.
Examples:

 I like French. Language

 I like the French. The French people

HOWEVER: When generalizing about nationalities or ethnic groups that end in "-ans",
such as "Americans", "Mexicans", and "Hawaiians", THE is not usually used.

Examples:

 Americans watch a lot of TV.

 Germans drink a lot of beer.

USE 22

Do not use THE with the names of most countries unless the name contains a word
such as "States", "Kingdom", "Republic", "Emirates", "Union", "Coast", etc.

Examples:

 I love Italy.
 John used to live in Japan.
 He lives in the United States.

SIMILARLY: Don't use THE with states, provinces, and cities unless THE is specifically
part of the name or contains a word such as "Territory" or "Coast".

Examples:

 He lives in California.
 Ladakh is in India.
 The Northwest Territories is a province in Canada.

EXCEPTIONS: THE is used with "the Netherlands" as well as with many nations which
are island chains, such as "the Philippines", "the Maldives", "the Bahamas", etc.
Additionally, in the past, THE was used with certain countries such as "the Sudan", "the
Gambia", and "the Congo"; this usage is becoming less common.

Examples:
  He lives in the Netherlands.
 I visited the Bahamas last year.

USE 23

Use THE with the names of:

 oceans
 seas
 coasts
 rivers
 swamps
 archipelagos
 collections of lakes (such as the Great Lakes)
 mountain chains
 deserts
 references on the globe (such as the Equator, the North Pole)
 geographic regions (such as the Northwest, the Middle East)
 bridges (except Tower Bridge)
 pagodas
 hotels
 theaters
 museums
 institutes
 skyscrapers
 the Sun, the Moon
 extraordinary works of art or architecture (such as the Mona Lisa, the
Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal)

Examples:

 James visited the Hermitage, a famous museum in St. Petersburg.

 I would love to visit the North Pole.
 Nina walked over the Rialto Bridge.

Use our Articles Flashcards to memorize the categories in Uses 23 and 24.
USE 24

Do not use an article with:

 individual lakes
 individual islands
 beaches
 waterfalls
 individual mountains (except the Matterhorn)
 canyons (except the Grand Canyon)
 people's first names
 streets (except the High Street)
 public squares
 hospitals
 stadiums
 malls
 parks
 churches
 temples
 universities
 colleges
 languages
 religions
 days
 months
 holidays

Examples:

 Have you ever visited Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris?

 Kenta is Buddhist.
 We went camping in King's Canyon.

HOWEVER: There are additional exceptions to some of the above categories. For
example, THE is often used in the pattern "the ... of ...".

Examples:
  The University of Colorado
 The Temple of Ranakpur
 The Cathedral of Siena

Use our Articles Flashcards to memorize the categories in Uses 23 and 24.

USE 25

Time expressions can be especially confusing. THE is used in some time expressions
such as:

 in the morning
 in the afternoon
 in the evening
 during the night
 during the day
 the day before yesterday
 the day after tomorrow
 the fall
 the summer

Examples:

 We'll meet in the afternoon.

 Jake loves to go camping in the fall.
 There was a small earthquake during the night.

HOWEVER: In other time expressions, no article is used:

 at night
 at noon
 at midnight
 all day
 all night
 all month
 every month
 every year
  last night
 last Friday
 yesterday
 tomorrow

Examples:

 Did you sleep well last night?

 I'll see you tomorrow.
 We are meeting for lunch at noon.

MOREOVER: There are some expressions which can take both A(AN) and THE such
as:

 a/the whole day

 a/the whole month
 an/the entire year
 an/the entire decade

Examples:

 He spent a whole month in Hawaii. I wish I could do that.

 I took last Friday off to go to the doctor. I spent the whole day sitting in his office.
 When she first moved to Germany, it took an entire year for her to learn enough
German to go shopping.
 Phil hated the '90s. He spent the whole decade in a dead-end job struggling to
pay his rent.
 Articles Exercise 6
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose A, AN or (/) for "no article" for each blank below, then click the "Check" button to check
your answers.

1.This is amazing dance club, but you don't look like you are enjoying yourself. Aren't

you having fun? Is there problem?

2. Vegetarians don't eat meat, they eat vegetables and fruit.

Don't make him greasy hamburger; make him healthy salad instead.

3. We finally found apartment, but we don't have furniture yet. There is

furniture store just around the corner and they have pretty good selection
of beds. I think we'll start there.

4. Samir works for Egyptian company which specializes in information

technology. He is going to European conference next month to discuss

research on online sales in North Africa.

5. I love chocolate, but my husband doesn't. I want to get cat, but he hates

cats. We don't agree on anything, but I still think we make great couple.

6. While I was in Japan, I stayed in hotel with walls made of paper. We ate

rice with every meal. It was quite unique experience.

7. I wanted to buy new smartphone, but the salesman didn't have

information on the model I wanted. I need help making decision before I

buy anything.

8. How much does ticket cost? Unfortunately, I don't have money with me

right now. Can I pay with ATM card? What about credit card?
9. He won award for his new science fiction novel called "Launch". Evidently, it's

about astronaut who gets trapped in space for more than year.

Articles Exercise 21
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose A, AN, THE or (/) for "no article" for each blank below, then click the "Check"
button to check your answers.

1. Armadillos are animals which are most active at night. Sometimes, you see

them during day, but that's less common.

2. Unfortunately, yesterday I had to spend whole day studying for

my biology final. I think I did well on the test, but I won't know until next week.

3. I really loved Christmas when I was a kid. My favorite part was getting up in

morning and finding all the gifts from Santa under the tree.

4. I'm so stressed out at work; I really need to take whole month off and just

relax on a tropical beach somewhere. Maybe I can do that next summer.

5. When I was a kid, I spent summer on a beach in Florida. Now, I have to

work every summer.

6. Do you want to meet for dinner on Wednesday? Or if you prefer, we could

get together next Monday.

7. My cable television company has terrible customer service! I was on the phone with

them for entire hour and nobody could answer my question. I think
tomorrow, I'm going to call them up and cancel my service.

8. The conference started at noon and didn't finish until late in

evening. We spent whole time listening to boring speeches.

9. Have you ever heard of Halloween? It's a holiday that Americans celebrate

on October 31.

10. I didn't sleep at all last night. I spent whole night lying awake.

And today, I can barely keep my eyes open

 English Articles Final Test
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose A, AN, THE or (/) for "no article" for each blank below, then click the "Check"
button to check your answers.

PART 1

1. I need egg for this recipe, but we're out.

2. I need milk for this recipe, but we're out.

3. I need potato for this recipe, but we're out.

4. Is that "8" or "B"? I can't read it.

5. Is that "U" or "O"? I can't read it.

6. He is from European country, but I don't know which one.

7. I enjoyed DVD you gave me for my birthday.

8. If I were rich, I would buy apartment in Manhattan and house in

Hawaii.

9. Do you know name of her perfume?

10. This school has great teachers.

PART 2

11. What's longest river in world? Is it Amazon or

Nile? I'm terrible at geography.

12. In 1824, Louis Braille developed system of writing for blind.

Quickly, system, known as "Braille" after inventor, spread from

France to dozens of countries.

13. "Travel Magazine" did extremely interesting article on world's

most amazing buildings. If I remember correctly, first building on list

was Angkor Wat, beautiful temple in Cambodia. And

second was Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt.

14. Because she did not speak English, Silke had little chance of

advancing her career, so she applied for year-long English course at

Cambridge University.

15. Burt loves islands. He has been to Cuba, Bali,

Bahamas, and Philippines. And next year, he wants to go to

Madagascar.

16. Judy always says that patience is virtue, but she is

least patient person I've ever met. Don't you think that's little ironic?
17. Kumiko discovered that there were quite few cultural differences between

Danish and Norwegians. She had always assumed

Scandinavians were the same.

18. Every year, Smiths go camping in Yellowstone National Park.

But next year, they are going to visit Mr. Smith's mother in South

instead.

19. We spent the whole day today at Venice Beach, and then we had dinner

at little restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard. We decided to go to

Disneyland tomorrow, and day after tomorrow, we are going to

Las Vegas.

20. Wow, cheese is getting so expensive! Look, that cheese costs more than

$50 pound.