Articles
Articles are small words like “a,” “an,” and “the” that we use before nouns.
- “A“ is used when we’re talking about any one thing of that kind. For example, “a cat” means any cat, not a specific one. We use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound, like “a house.”
- Examples:
- “I saw a cat in the garden.”
- “She bought a new dress for the party.”
- “He wants to buy a house in the countryside.”
- “An“ is used to talk about any one thing, but specifically when the noun starts with a vowel sound. For instance, “an apple” means any apple, not a specific one.
- Examples:
- “She ate an orange for breakfast.”
- “He saw an elephant at the zoo.”
- “I need an umbrella because it’s raining.”
- “The“ is used when we’re talking about a specific thing that both the speaker and listener know about. For example, “the book” refers to a particular book that both know.
- Examples:
- “He went to the store to buy some bread.”
- “She read the book that her friend recommended.”
- “They visited the museum on their school trip.”
Articles help us to understand whether we’re talking about something specific or just any one thing. They’re important because they give us more information about the nouns we’re talking about, making our communication clearer and more precise.
Test yourself!
Articles
Test your use of articles. Select a, an or the for each sentence.
