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Articles are words used to indicate whether a noun is specific or general. The definite article "the" refers to a specific noun, while the indefinite article "a/an" refers to unspecific nouns. The choice between "a" and "an" depends on whether the following word begins with a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel letter. There are exceptions when words beginning with vowel letters have consonant sounds (e.g. "an hour") and when words beginning with consonant letters have vowel sounds (e.g. "a European").

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214 views3 pages

Articles 1

Articles are words used to indicate whether a noun is specific or general. The definite article "the" refers to a specific noun, while the indefinite article "a/an" refers to unspecific nouns. The choice between "a" and "an" depends on whether the following word begins with a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel letter. There are exceptions when words beginning with vowel letters have consonant sounds (e.g. "an hour") and when words beginning with consonant letters have vowel sounds (e.g. "a European").

Uploaded by

nico ry
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Articles

What Are Articles?

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.

After the long day, the cup of tea tasted good.


By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one specific day that was long and
one specific cup of tea that tasted good.
After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.
By using the article a, we’ve created a general statement, implying that any cup of
tea would taste good after any long day.

The Definite Article

The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular
thing. For example, your friend might ask, “Are you going to the party this weekend?”
The definite article tells you that your friend is referring to a specific party that both of
you know about. The definite article can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable
nouns.

Ex: Please give me the hammer.

You're specifying what hammer you want.

Another example with a plural noun:

Lend me the markers.

You're specifying what markers in specific.

The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea rather than a
particular things and it takes two forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that
begins with a consonant.
Ex: Please give me a book.

If you notice a is before book because is a noun that begins with a consonant. Other
thing is that you're saying give me a book you're not specifying what book.

And it’s the word an when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel ( a, e , i ,o ,
u ).

Ex: Please give me an apple.

Now here we use an because apple is a noun that begins with a vowel. Again
you're not specifying what apple just an apple.

Exceptions:

Choosing A or An

There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that start with
consonants and an before words that begin with vowels.

When the first letter of the word honor, for example, is a consonant, but it’s
unpronounced. In spite of its spelling, the word honor begins with a vowel sound.
Therefore, we use an.

Ex: My mother is a honest woman.

My mother is an honest woman.

The h doesn't make any sound so the word that sounds is the o .

But if we have the sentence:

I work in a hospital.
In this case h with the o makes the sound Jo , there's not a vowel sound at the
beginning and we can use a.

Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a
consonant sound, use a .

Ex: She is an United States resident.

The first word United at the beginning doesn't sounds like the vowel itself it sounds
like yu , Because of that we use a instead of an .

**This holds true with acronyms and initialisms, too:


an LCD display, a UK-based company, an HR department, a URL.

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