Articles — a/an, the
Introduction
This lesson is about the indefinite articles, “a” and “an”, and the definite article, “the”.
a/an = indefinite article that refers any noun
the = definite article that refers to a certain or specific noun
For example:
“Let's see a movie” means any movie. (indefinite)
“Let's see the movie” means a certain movie. (definite)
“A” or “an”?
“An” is used instead of “a” before a vowel sound. For example:
An artist from the local community painted the wonderful mural at Chemainus.
Indefinite Article: A / AN
| Explanation | Example |
|---|---|
| “A” and “an” are used when it is not clear which thing or person we are talking about. | She was talking to a girl at the store. (This is an unknown girl, so a is used.) |
| “A” and “an” can be used only with count nouns. | I need a bottle of milk. I need an interesting topic for my speech. |
Definite Article: THE
| Explanation | Example |
|---|---|
| “The” is used when it is clear which thing or person we are talking about. | Greg was talking to the girl from New York. (This a specific girl from New York, so the is used.) The sun comes up every day. |
| “The” is used when there is only one of a particular thing. | London is the capital of England. We went to the most expensive city in the world. |
| The + adjective “The” is used with some adjectives (without a noun). For example: the young , the old, the sick (The meaning is always plural.) |
Do you think that the rich should give money to the poor? |
| The + nationality adjectives “The” is used with most nationality words which refer to the people of a specific country. For example: the Canadians, the Japanese |
The Italians are famous for their delicious food. |
| Certain nouns use the: names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Mississippi, the Atlantic points on the globe: the Equator, the South Pole geographical areas: the Middle East, the West, as well as deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas |
The Atlantic is a huge, deep, dark ocean. The Middle East is fascinating. The Gulf of Mexico is below Texas. We live near the Saanich Peninsula. |
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.