Practice
What is an article in grammar?
A new colleague says, "I need a laptop." Later, after you both see one laptop on the desk, the colleague says, "The laptop is ready." The small words a and the help the listener follow which thing the speaker means.
Choose a, an, the, or no article before a noun by deciding whether the noun is singular, specific, or used generally.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
a book / an appointment / the book /ə bʊk/ /ən əˈpɔɪntmənt/ /ðə bʊk/
The short answer
Use a or an for one singular countable noun when the listener does not know which one you mean. Use the for a particular noun that the listener can identify. Use no article with many plural or uncountable nouns when you mean things in general.
I bought a book yesterday. The book is about city gardens.
Why it works: A book introduces one book for the first time. The book refers to that same, now-known book.
5 more examples
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A customer called this morning.
The listener has not heard about this person before, so the speaker introduces one customer with a.
Not this:
The customerleft a message for you. What changes: The now points to the customer already introduced in the first sentence. -
Could you close the window?
The situation makes one window clear to both speakers, so the is natural.
Not this:Could you open
a window? What changes: The speaker does not care which window the listener opens. -
She has an appointment at 3:00.
Appointment is a singular countable noun, and the next sound is a vowel sound. Use an.
Not this:She has
a meetingat 3:00. What changes: Meeting begins with a consonant sound, so it takes a. -
Books can take us to unfamiliar places.
The speaker means books as a general category, so the plural noun has no article.
Not this:
The bookson the shelf belong to Maya. What changes: The phrase on the shelf identifies a particular group of books. -
Coffee helps him stay awake in the morning.
Coffee is uncountable here and refers to the drink in general, so no article is used.
Not this:
The coffeein this cup is too cold. What changes: The phrase in this cup identifies a particular amount of coffee.
Read the full guide
Start by asking one question: does the listener know exactly which person or thing you mean? If the answer is no and the noun is singular and countable, use a or an. If the answer is yes, use the. If you mean plural things or an uncountable substance in general, an article is often unnecessary.
Use a or an for one new thing
Use a or an when you mention one person or thing for the first time and the listener cannot identify it yet. The noun must be singular and countable. Choose a or an from the first sound of the next word.
I saw a dog near the station.
The speaker means one dog, but does not expect the listener to know which dog.
Choose the article: We need ___ answer before the meeting.
Use an: We need an answer before the meeting. Answer begins with a vowel sound.
Use the for a known or identified noun
Use the after a noun has been introduced, when the situation makes it clear, or when extra words identify it. The listener should be able to find the person or thing in their mind.
I found a receipt. The receipt was under the chair.
The second sentence points back to the receipt already named in the first sentence.
Choose the article: Please turn off ___ light by the door.
Use the: Please turn off the light by the door. The phrase by the door identifies the light.
Use no article for general plural and uncountable nouns
When you talk about a whole category, plural nouns often have no article. Uncountable nouns also usually have no article when you mean the substance or idea generally.
Phones are useful for travel.
The sentence means phones in general, not a particular set of phones.
Choose the article: ___ information is useful when you are new to a job.
Use no article: Information is useful when you are new to a job. Information is uncountable here.
Specific plural and uncountable nouns take the
Plural and uncountable nouns can take the when the listener knows which ones you mean. Add a phrase, mention the noun earlier, or rely on a clear shared situation.
The information in the email was clear.
In the email identifies one particular set of information.
Choose the article: ___ keys on the table are yours.
Use the: The keys on the table are yours. The phrase on the table identifies the keys.
Choose in two steps
First decide whether the noun is one new countable thing, a known thing, or a general plural or uncountable noun. Then, only if you need an indefinite article, listen to the first sound to choose a or an.
An engineer checked the wiring.
Engineer is a new singular countable noun and begins with a vowel sound, so an is correct.
Choose the article: ___ water in this bottle tastes strange.
Use the: The water in this bottle tastes strange. The phrase in this bottle makes the water specific.
Before you go
Remember this
Use a or an to introduce one singular countable noun. Use the when the listener can identify the noun. Leave out the article when you mean plural things or uncountable nouns generally. The noun's meaning decides the choice first, and the first sound decides between a and an.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "What is an article in grammar?"
What are the articles in English grammar?
English articles are a, an, and the. A and an introduce one singular countable noun when it is not yet known to the listener. The identifies a noun that the listener can identify from the conversation, a phrase, or the situation.
A customer called this morning.
Why do we use a and an?
Use a or an when you mean one singular countable person or thing without saying which one. Choose a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. The choice depends on pronunciation, not only on the written first letter.
The customer left a message for you.
When should I use the?
Use the when the listener can identify the noun. You can use the after mentioning the noun once, when the situation makes it clear, or when words after the noun identify it, such as the keys on the table.
Could you close the window?
Can I use a before plural nouns?
No. A and an are used with singular countable nouns. For plural nouns used generally, use no article, as in Books are useful. Use the with a plural noun only when you mean a particular group, as in The books on the shelf.
Could you open a window?
Why do some nouns have no article?
Plural nouns and uncountable nouns often have no article when they refer to things generally. For example, people need sleep and coffee can be bitter. Add the when the same noun becomes specific, as in the coffee in this cup.
She has an appointment at 3:00.