What is an article?
An article is a word placed before a noun which shows whether we are talking about something specific or general.
How many articles are there in English?
English has three articles: a, an, the. We have two indefinite articles (a and an) and one definite article (the). In some instances we use no article.
How do we use articles in English?
Here is a quick comparison:
| Article | Main idea | Example |
| a | One, non-specific | I saw a bird. |
| an | One, non-specific + before a vowel sound | She ate an apple. |
| the | Specific/known | I fed the bird. |
| no article | General idea; most proper nouns | Birds can fly. John’s birthday is in April. |
1) Indefinite articles: a/an
We use a/an when talking about one thing or person in a general or non-specific way.
- a is used before a consonant sound: a book, a university, a car
- an is used before a vowel sound: an apple, an hour, an interesting story
❗We do not use an in front of words like university or union because, although they start with the vowel letter U, they do not start with a vowel sound. They both start with a /j/ sound, which is a consonant sound.
Main uses:
- to mention something for the first time: I saw a dog in the park.
- to mean “one”: He has a sister.
- to describe someone’s profession or identity: She is an engineer.
2) Definite article: the
We use the for specific people or things. The listener or reader knows who or what thing(s) we mean. We can use the for both singular and plural nouns.
Main uses:
- something already mentioned: I saw a dog in the park. The dog was very cute.
- something specific: Please close the door.
- something unique: the sun, the moon, the Earth
- superlatives and ordinal numbers: the best students, the first chapter
- certain geographical names: the Pacific Ocean, the United States, the Alps
3) No article (zero article)
Sometimes we do not use an article. We can call this the zero article.
Main uses:
- plural nouns when speaking generally: Dogs are friendly.
- uncountable nouns when speaking generally: Water is essential.
- most proper nouns: Australia is a large country. Frank is funny.
- languages and school subjects: I speak English. I study history.
- meals in general: We had breakfast at 8.