English — Articles: A, An, The — 1st Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

Articles: A, An, The

Articles are words that come before nouns. There are two types: indefinite (a, an) and definite (the).

1. Indefinite Articles: A / An

We use a and an before singular countable nouns when we mention something for the first time.

• A is used before consonant sounds: a book, a car, a university (you-niversity).
• An is used before vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u): an apple, an hour (silent h).

Examples: “I saw a cat.” “She ate an orange.”

2. Definite Article: The

We use the when we talk about something specific or already mentioned.

• “I saw a cat. The cat was black.” (the cat we already talked about)
• “Close the door, please.” (a specific door)
• “The sun is bright.” (unique things)

No article

We use no article with:

• Plural nouns in general: “Dogs are loyal animals.”
• Uncountable nouns in general: “Water is important.”
• Proper nouns: “I live in Algeria.”

Exercises

1) Fill in a, an, or the: … apple, … book, … sun, … honest man, … university.
2) Complete: I have … cat. … cat is white. … cats are lovely animals.