We use ‘a’ with words beginning with a consonant sound. Even if they actually begin with a vowel.
- a university
- a union
We use ‘an’ with words beginning with a vowel sound. (Even is it begins with a consonant.
- an onion
- an apple
- an ex-ray
‘A’ and ‘an’ is used when the listener doesn’t know what noun we are talking about.
- I saw a cute dog today. (The listener doesn’t know which dog I saw)
- Paul bought a book today. (The listener doesn’t know which book)
We also use ‘a’ and ‘an’ to talk about what something is.
- A dog is an animal.
- Google is a search engine.
- A diamond is a gem.
‘A’ and ‘an’ is also used to talk about somebody’s job.
- I’m a teacher.
- Picasso was an artist.
- Taylor Swift is a singer.
‘A’ and ‘an’ can only be used with singular countable nouns.
‘The’ is used when the listener knows which noun we are talking about.
- I bought the book you told me about. (The book you told me about)
- Can you lock the door before you leave? (The door of the house you’re in)
- The ceiling needs painting. (The ceiling in your house.)
We use ‘the’ to talk about plural and uncountable nouns or when there is only one of something.
- The weather is warm today.
- The windows need washing. (windows in your house.)
- Please pass the salt.
- Paris is the capital of France.
If you would like to take your English grammar to the next level, check out my fully online course at the very end of this page.
If you would like to practise using the English articles, please click here.
Beginner English
Learn the building blocks of English grammar. This will give you the skills you need to progress to the next level.
