English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010

Lesson 12: Articles
Unit 3: Determiners
Part I: Kinds of words

Determiners are words that can occur directly before a noun, tell us a bit more about that noun, and introduce it. The determiners are underlined in the sentences below, with the following noun in bold:

1. I milked the cow.

2. It is Harry’s turn.

3. They bought that house.

4. John has more money.

These sentences have examples of the four major types of determiners: articles, possessives, demonstratives, and quantifiers. Generally, a noun will have only one of these determiner types in front of it. We’ll be discussing each of these four types in this unit, starting with articles, the easiest and most common.

Lesson 12: Articles

How can you identify an article?

It doesn’t get any easier than this!

Quick tip 12.1

There are only three articles in English: the, a and an.

Articles give us information about a noun; they indicate whether or not the noun is a specific one known to both the speaker and listener. Take a look at these examples to see what we mean:

1. I bought a red car. (The listener doesn’t know anything about the red car.)

2. The red car was on sale. (The listener knows which car the speaker is talking about.)

The is commonly called the definite article; a and an are called indefinite articles. The definite article may be used with both singular and plural nouns, but the indefinite articles only with singular nouns, as we can see in the following examples:

Test yourself 12.1

Underline the articles in each of the sentences below. A sentence may have more than one article.

Sample: We watched a video last night.

Getting started (answers on p. 55)

1. The last week of the month was a busy one in the store.

2. Summer was a special time for Melissa.

3. There’s an unusual idea floating around.

4. I turned a corner in the long hall.

5. A dirty spoon had fallen to the floor.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. In the middle of the night, I heard a strange noise.

7. Jackie turned off the road too soon.

8. Your mother’s favorite actor appeared in the show we saw last night.

9. A pear is just as tasty as an apple, as far as I am concerned.

10. The guys bought two cans of paint: an orange one and a beige one.

What’s the difference between a and an? See if you notice a pattern when you look at these examples:

The articles a and an have the same meaning and use. The only difference between them is that a is used when the next word begins with a consonant sound, while an is used when the next word begins with a vowel sound.

To enhance your understanding

What about a uniform and an hour? Do these contradict what we’ve said about when to use a and an? It certainly looks like a is being used before a vowel, and an is being used before a consonant. But in fact, that’s not the case. These phrases follow the rule perfectly. Remember that a is used when the next word begins with a consonant sound. The first letter of the next word doesn’t matter; only its first sound matters.

So what’s the first sound of the word uniform? Say it out loud and listen carefully. You will hear that the first sound of the word is the sound [y], as in yes. We really say ’’y-uniform’’ (and also "y-unicorn," "y-usual," etc.). Since "y," a consonant, is the first sound, we use a before uniform.

What’s the first sound of the word hour? Say the word out loud, and you will notice that in fact we don’t pronounce the letter "h." Rather, hour begins with a vowel sound, as in the word our, and so we say an hour.

Thus, apparent exceptions, like a uniform and an hour, are not exceptions at all.

Test yourself 12.2

Getting started (answers on p. 55)

1. A waiter walked to the table.

2. The trainer calmed the dog down.

3. He argued about the bill for hours.

4. I usually eat a sandwich and a cookie for lunch.

5. She watches TV every night.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. The train appeared suddenly.

7. Diane put the chicken in the salad.

8. The repairman did not finish his job.

9. Children like cake.

10. Nowadays Elena takes skiing lessons at least once a week.