Articles in Grammar: Useful Rules, List & Examples
English Articles (a, an, the) !!! Learn how to use articles (a, an, the) in English with useful grammar rules, ESL printable worksheets and example sentences.
What Is An Article in English? A An The
- Articles are small but important words in the English language.
- Articles are considered adjectives because they modify or help describe nouns.
- Articles always come before or precede the nouns they describe.
There are only three articles in English: a, an and the.
There are two types of articles indefinite ‘a’and ‘an‘ or definite ‘the’. You also need to know when not to use an article.
In many languages, articles are a special part of speech which cannot be easily combined with other parts of speech.
Article Grammar: A An The – Image 1
How to Use Articles in English Grammar? (A An The)
Indefinite Articles | A and An
Indefinite Article Definition
The words A and An are called indefinite articles. We can use them with singular nouns to talk about any single person or thing.
Deciding which indefinite article to place in front of a word depends upon the initial sound of the word, not the first letter of the word.
When to use ‘a’
‘A’ is used before words beginning with a consonant sound.
E.g. A usual, a student, a doctor, a hotel.
When to use “an”
The article ‘an’ should be placed before words that begin with a vowel sound.
The initial sound should be a, e, i, o, or u.
E.g. An hour, an elephant, an actor, an ice-cream.
How to Use A, AN – Image 2
Rules for Using A, An – Image 3
Definite Article | The
Definite Article Definition
The Definite Article ‘THE‘ generally specifies and identifies. It answers the question: ‘Which one?’ Is specifies a person, place, or thing already mentioned.
The definite article ‘the’ means this, that. It answers the question which one?. It can be used with both singular and plural nouns. A noun is first introduced with the indefinite article and the definite article is used to refer to it again.
Article Grammar: The Article THE in Geographical Names – Image 4
When Not to Use an English Article | No Article
1. We usually use no article to talk about things in general.
2. We do not use an article when talking about sports and games.
3. Do not use article before the names of countries unless the name suggests that the country is made up of smaller units or constituent parts.
Use the – the UK (United Kingdom), the USA (United States of America), the Irish Republic… (Kingdom, state, republic and union are nouns, so they need an article.)
4. Do not use article before the name of language.
5. Do not use article before the names of railway stations when they are also place names.
6. Do not use article before the names of meals if they refer to the meals generally, as a part of the daily routine.
7. Do not use article before noun + number.
Article Grammar: When to Use No Article – Image 5
Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Learn how to use articles with countable and uncountable nouns in English.
You need to categorize the noun as count or noncount to choose the correct article.
- Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. which can be counted.
Examples: an apple, a school, 1 picture, 2 pictures, 3 pictures, 2 men, 4 men, 8 men.
- Uncountable nouns are materials, concepts, information, etc. which are not individual objects and can not be counted.
Examples: information, water, understanding, wood, cheese.
Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns – Image 6
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