Articles : A, An, The (English Grammar)

ARTICLES (A, An, The) by Mantu Kumar

English Grammar

What is an Article?

An article is a word used before a noun to tell which person or thing we are talking about.

There are three articles in English:

A

An

The

Types of Articles

Articles are of two types:

Indefinite Articles – A, An

Definite Article – The

1. Indefinite Articles – A and An

Use of ‘A’

We use ‘A’:

Before a singular noun

When the noun starts with a consonant sound

📌 Consonant sounds: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z

Examples:

a boy

a girl

a pen

a book

a dog

a teacher

📌 Remember: It is the sound, not the letter.

✔ a university (sound = you)

✔ a one-rupee coin (sound = won)

Use of ‘An’

We use ‘An’:

Before a singular noun

When the noun starts with a vowel sound

📌 Vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u

Examples:

an apple

an egg

an orange

an umbrella

an hour

✔ an hour (h is silent → vowel sound)

✔ an honest man (h is silent)

Special Rules for A / An

Use A/An when we talk about something for the first time.

Use A/An to talk about any one of a group.

Examples:

I saw a dog in the street.

She wants an umbrella.

2. Definite Article – The

Use of ‘The’

We use ‘The’:

To talk about a particular or specific person or thing

When the noun is already known

Examples:

The sun is very hot.

The teacher is in the class.

I saw a dog. The dog was black.

Uses of ‘The’ in Detail

1. When the noun is mentioned again

I bought a pen.

The pen is blue.

2. Before unique things

The sun

The moon

The earth

The sky

3. Before rivers, seas, oceans

The Ganga

The Yamuna

The Arabian Sea

The Indian Ocean

4. Before mountain ranges

The Himalayas

The Alps

📌 (Not used before single mountains like Mount Everest)

5. Before superlative degree

The best student

The tallest building

The most beautiful place

6. Before names of newspapers

The Times of India

The Hindu

7. Before musical instruments

She plays the piano.

He plays the guitar.

Omission of Articles (No Article)

We do not use any article:

Before plural nouns (in general sense)

Before proper nouns

Before languages

Before meals

Examples:

Boys are playing.

Riya is my friend.

I speak English.

We eat lunch at noon.

Important Points to Remember

✔ A / An → first time, any one

✔ The → specific or known

✔ Sound matters, not spelling

✔ Use articles only before nouns

Examples for Practice

She has ___ apple.

I saw ___ elephant.

___ sun rises in the east.

He is ___ honest man.

This is ___ best book.

Conclusion

Articles A, An and The help us speak and write English correctly and clearly.

We should use them carefully by checking the sound and meaning of the noun.

Fill in the blanks with ‘A’ or ‘An’

1. She has ___ apple in her bag.

2. He is ___ honest boy.

3. I saw ___ dog in the street.

4. This is ___ umbrella.

5. My father bought ___ car.

6. She wants ___ ice-cream.

7. He is ___ university student.

8. There is ___ egg on the table.

9. Ramesh has ___ pencil in his hand.

10. It was ___ hour before sunset.

*Fill in the blanks with A, An or The*

1. I saw ___ elephant in the zoo.

2. She has ___ umbrella with her.

3. ___ sun rises in the east.

4. He is ___ good student.

5. We live near ___ river.

6. Riya bought ___ apple from the market.

7. ___ teacher is teaching English in the class.

8. There is ___ book on the table.

9. She wants ___ ice-cream.

10. ___ moon looks beautiful at night.