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A vs. An
Our three-part English Articles Tutorial gives you 25 usage tips to help you use articles like
a native speaker. Here in part 1, we introduce A and AN and teach you how to choose
between the two.

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

A vs. An Exercises

Articles Exercise 1 Uses 1 - 4

Articles Exercise 2 Uses 1 - 4

Articles Exercise 3 Uses 1 - 7

Articles Exercise 4 Uses 1 - 7

Articles Exercise 5 Use 8

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Home > Articles Tutorial > A(An) vs. The

A(An) vs. The

In part 2 of the English Articles Tutorial, we continue our list of 25 articles usage tips. Here,
we introduce the article THE and discuss how to choose between the indefinite articles
A(AN) and the definite article THE.

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.

A(An) vs. The Exercises

Articles Exercise 7 Uses 9 - 10

Articles Exercise 8 Uses 9 - 10

Articles Exercise 9 Use 11

  

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Advanced Grammar rule – Articles

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Advanced Grammar rule - Articles

ARTICLES

“A, an and the” are called Articles. There are two kinds of articles

(I) Indefinite article—A/An

(II) Definite article—The

Use of Indefinite Article–A/An

The article An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound. eg,

1. She is an intelligent girl.

2. He is an MP.
3. You are an honest man.

The article A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound. eg,
 
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1.
Online He is a university student.
 2. He is a European. 
3. He is a one-eyed man

A/An is used before a singular countable noun when it is mentioned for the first
time representing no particular person or thing. eg,

1. He has an axe.
2. She is a lawyer.
3. A boy came to my office.

A/An is used to make a common noun of a proper noun. eg,

1. My neighbour is a Daniel.

2. She is a Lata Mangeshkar.

3. His brother is a Shylock.

A/An is used in exclamations before singular countable nouns. eg,

1. What an interesting movie

2. What a pretty girl

3. What a lovely morning

A/An is used in its original sense of one or any. eg,

1. She wants a car.

2. There are twelve inches in a foot.

3. He bought a book.

Use of Definite Article —The

 
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Online
The definite article The is used when we talk about a particular person or thing
 or

one already mentioned. eg,

1. Give me the book which you bought yesterday.

2. The dress you want is out of stock.

3. I met a girl. The girl was beautiful.

When a singular noun represents a whole class. eg,

1. The lotus is a beautiful flower.

2. The cat loves comfort.

3. The banyan is a useful tree.

Before the first noun in ‘noun + preposition + noun’ construction. eg,

1. The Bharat of Ramayana is an ideal brother.

2. The gold of India is famous.

3. She likes the sweets of Jaipur.

Before names of mountain-ranges. eg,

1. The Alps

2. The Himalayas
3. The Vindhyas

Before names of groups of islands. eg,

1. The Andamans

2. The Hebrides

3. The West Indies

Before names of rivers, oceans, gulfs, deserts and forests. eg,

1. The Ganges, The Amazon, The Nile

2. The Arabian Sea, The Pacific Ocean, The Indian Ocean, The Persian Gulf, The
We are
Online Gulf of Mexico, The Sahara, The Black Forest
Before names of religious and mythological books. eg, The Veda, The Ramayana,
 The
Bible Before names of newspapers and magazines. eg, The Hindustan Times, the
Times of India, the Statesman Before names of heavenly bodies, directions and things

unique of their kind. eg, The earth, The sun, The moon, The east, The north, The

equator Note: ‘The’ is generally not used before the words ‘Heaven, Hell, God,

Parliament’. Before names of historical buildings, places and events. eg, The Taj

Mahal, The Red Fort, The Pyramids, The Kaba, The Kurukshetra, The French Revolution
Before musical instruments. eg,

1. He can play the guitar.

2. She is fond of playing on the piano.

Note: When musical instruments are used as countable nouns, A/AN is used. eg,

1. We gave her a harmonium.

2. I have bought a violin.

Before religious communities and political parties. eg, The Hindus, The Muslims, The

Sikhs, The BJP, The Congress Party, The Janata Dal Before names of ships, aeroplanes

and trains. eg, The Virat, The Vikrant, The Meghdoot The Shatabdi Express, The
Punjab Mail, The Rajdhani Express Before the words denoting physical positions. eg,

The top, The bottom, The centre The inside, The front, The back Before parts of

body. eg, 1) He was hit on the head. 2) She pulled the cat by the tail. 3) You caught

me by the arm. Before names of government departments and armed forces. eg, The

Judiciary, The Legislative, The Executive, The Army, The Navy, The Air Force Before
the dates of months. eg, The 6th February, The 21st of December Before the

superlative degree. eg,

1. Honesty is the best policy.

2. She is the tallest girl in the class.

3. The rose is the sweetest of all flowers. 

We are
Online
Before the names of a few countries and provinces. eg, The USA, The USSR,

The

Netherlands, The Sudan, The Punjab Before comparative degree in case of a choice.

eg,

1. She is the prettier of the two sisters.

2. He is the stronger of the two

Before the ordinals. eg, – The first, The third, The ninth

Omission of Articles

The articles a, an, the are omitted

Before names of days and months. eg,

1. She will go on Monday.

2. They are getting married in January.

Before names of languages. eg,

1. He cannot speak French.

2. She is learning Marathi.

Before names of subjects. eg,

1. She has no interest in mathematics.

2. Biology is his favourite subject.

Before names of diseases. eg,

1. AIDS is spreading like wild fire.

2. He died of cancer. 
We are
Online
But ‘The’ is used before the names of a few diseases. eg, the measles, the plague,

the gout, the mumps.

Before names of festivals and seasons. Eg,

1. He will go to Canada in winter.

2. She celebrated Christmas with her friends.

3. He will go to Canada during winter.

4. She went to Delhi during Diwali holidays.

Before names of sports. eg,

1. She plays tennis.

2. We like cricket.

Before the names of persons, villages, cities, districts, states and countries. eg,

1. Anjali is a beautiful girl.

2. London is a big city.

3. Paris is the capital of France.

Before names of meals. eg,

1. They take lunch at 2 pm.

2. Breakfast is ready.

‘A’ is used when there is an adjective before names of meals. We use ‘the’ when we

specify. eg,

1. We had a late breakfast today. 

We are
2.
Online The lunch I had at the Rajmahal was nice.
After possessive adjectives (my, our, your, his, her, their, its) and nouns in possessive

case (Ram’s, lion’s). eg,

1. This is Rahul’s car.

2. That is my book.

Before school, college, church, prison, hospital, bed, market, when these places are

visited or used for their primary purpose. eg,

1. She goes to church on Sunday.

2. The criminal was sent to prison.

3. I go to bed at 10 pm.

Before man, life, death, art, science, when these words are used in the widest sense.

eg,

1. Man is mortal.

2. Science has developed much in the past fifty years.

Before the nouns used after rank of / title of. eg,

1. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

2. He was given the title of Nawab.

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Home > Articles Tutorial > Advanced Articles

Advanced Article Usage

In part 3 of the English Articles Tutorial, we finish up our list of 25 articles usage tips. Here,
we take a look at some of the exceptions and more advanced topics relating to the use of
A(AN) and THE.

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.

Advanced Articles Exercises

Articles Exercise 12 Uses 12 - 14

Articles Exercise 13 Uses 15 - 16

Articles Exercise 14 Use 17

Articles Exercise 15 Use 18