What it is
Articles are the little words before a noun. 'a / an' introduce one of many; 'the' points to a thing both speakers already know.
Look
- a book, a dog, a chair
- an apple, an elephant, an hour
- Open the door.— We both know which door.
Form
FormPatternModel sentence
Positivea + consonant sound / an + vowel sound / the + known nounI saw an owl in the garden.
Negativesubject + verb + not + a / an + nounIt isn't a cat, it's a fox.
QuestionIs / Are + there + a / an + noun?Is there a bank near here?
Short answerYes, there is (one). · No, there isn't.Yes, there is one on the corner.
Form
a + consonant sound
abook · dog · car · student
an + vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)
anapple · elephant · orange · hour
Use it when
- You mention something for the first time: I bought a jacket.
- You mention it again, or there is only one: The jacket was cheap.
- You give a job: She's an engineer.
Remember
- a → consonant sound
- an → vowel sound
- the → we both know it
More examples
- She works in an office.
- Close the window, please.
- I need a pen and a piece of paper.
- We waited an hour for the bus.
Watch out!
an book
a book
'book' starts with a consonant sound.
a apple
an apple
'apple' starts with a vowel sound.
Quick check
I have ___ cat.
She is ___ engineer.