Articles: a, an, or the

1. Articles : a, an, or the

2. first, let’s compare a and an

3. we use a before words which begin with consonants (b,c,d,f…)

a
we use before words
which begin with
consonants
(b,c,d,f…)

4. a doctor a big car a girl

5. we also use a before u when it sounds like the word ‘you’ and before eu

a
u
we also use before
when it sounds like the
word ‘you’ and before
eu

6. sounds like ‘you’ starts with u = university a university

7. sounds like ‘you’ starts with = eu a European city

8. we use an before words which begin with vowels (a,e,i,o,u)

an
we use
before words
which begin with
vowels
(a,e,i,o,u)

9. an apple an interesting film

10. we also use an before words that begin with a silent h

an
we also use
before
words that begin with a
silent
h

11. silent ‘h’ = hour an hour

12. hard ‘h’ = house a house

13. next, let’s compare a/an and the

14. Mary: I bought a CD player and a TV yesterday. Joe: Was the CD player expensive?

a
Mary: I bought
CD player
and a TV yesterday.
the
Joe: Was
CD player
expensive?

15. we usually use a/an with a noun to talk about a person or thing for the first time

a/an
we usually use
with a noun to talk about a
person or thing for the first
time

16. a CD player

17. we usually use the when we talk about the person or thing again

the
we usually use
when
we talk about the person
or thing again

18. the CD player = the one that Mary bought

19. however, there are some special uses of a/an and the

20. we use a/an with prices, frequency and speeds

a/an
we use
with prices,
frequency and speeds

21. prices It costs £2 a litre

22. frequency I drink about three cups of coffee a day

23. speeds You’re driving at ninety miles an hour per

24. we use a/an before hundred, thousand, and million, billion

a/an
we use
before
hundred, thousand, and
million, billion

25. a hundred people a thousand days

26. we use a/an for talking about jobs

27. I’m a bank manager

28. we use the when there is only one of something

the
we use
when there
is only one of something

29. May I turn on the TV?

30. Where’s Mary? She’s in the kitchen.

31. we use the with musical instruments

32. I play the guitar. Jane plays the violin.

the guitar.
Jane plays the violin.
I play