Grammar & ESL: Using Articles (a, an, the)

What is the purpose of using articles a, an, and the in sentences?

Which of the following is an incorrect use of 'a'?

When should you use 'an' before a noun?

What is the correct usage of 'the'?

When do you use 'a' instead of 'an'?

What happens when a word starts with 'u' or 'h'?

Which of the following sentences is correct?

What is the main difference between 'a' and 'an'?

Which of the following proper nouns does not use an article?

What is the correct way to write the sentence 'I went to New York City'?

When do you use 'a' or 'an' to introduce a noun?

What is the correct way to write the sentence 'I went to the Fourth of July party'?

Which of the following geographical features uses the article?

What is the correct way to write the sentence 'I like the Chicago Bulls'?

What is the correct way to write the sentence 'I am a member of the Society of Friends'?

What should you do when trying to decide whether to use an article?

Articles: a, an, the

Indefinite Articles: a, an

Used to indicate a single item
"a" is used before a consonant sound
- Examples: a book, a hospital, a leg, a one-inch pipe, a youth
"an" is used before a vowel sound
- Examples: an apple, an opera, an eagle, an idea, an SOS

Using a and an

Use "a" or "an" for general nouns
- Examples: Take a pencil, I won a hundred dollars
Do not use "a" or "an" with plural nouns
- Incorrect: "They talked about a good restaurants"
- Correct: "They talked about a good restaurant to visit"
Use "a" or "an" for unspecific references
- Examples: He likes to read a book, That was a funny story

Definite Article: the

Used to indicate a specific noun or something that is one of a kind
Use "the" for specific references to common nouns
- Examples: Give me the book on the table, The sun rose at seven o'clock
Use "a" or "an" to introduce a noun, and then "the" is used afterwards
- Examples: I bought a sandwich for lunch. I shared the sandwich with my friend

Using the with Proper Nouns

Most proper nouns do not use an article
- Examples: New York City, Walt Disney, The United States of America
Exceptions: proper nouns with "of" as part of the name
- Examples: the Fourth of July, the University of Virginia, the United States of America
Plural proper nouns use "the"
- Examples: the Chicago Bulls, the Johnsons, the Blue Ridge Mountains
Proper nouns that name a group (a collective noun) also use "the"
- Examples: the Commonwealth of Virginia, the United Arab Emirates, the Society of Friends
Some geographical features use "the"
- Examples: the Gobi Desert, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pyramids, the Amazon
Some geographical features do not use "the"
- Examples: Lake Superior, Albemarle County, Route 29, Mount Vesuvius

Learn how to use articles 'a', 'an', and 'the' to indicate whether a noun is general or specific. Practice using indefinite articles with single items and plural nouns.