Articles

What Are Articles?
Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.

Consider the following examples:
1. After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good. By

using the article a, we’ve created a general statement,
implying that any cup of tea would taste good after any long
day.
2. After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.
By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one
specific day that was long and one specific cup of tea that
tasted good.
Types of Articles:
English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite.
1. The Definite Article: The definite article is the word the. It

limits the meaning of a noun to one particular thing. For
example, your friend might ask, “Are you going to the party
this weekend?” The definite article tells you that your friend
is referring to a specific party that both of you know about.
The definite article can be used with singular, plural, or
uncountable nouns. Below are some examples of the
definite article the used in context:
 Please give me the hammer.
 Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.
 Please give me the nail.
 Please give me the large nail; it’s the only one strong
enough to hold this painting.
 Please give me the hammer and the nail.
2. The Indefinite Article: The indefinite article takes two

forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that begins
with a consonant. It’s the word an when it precedes a word
that begins with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that
a noun refers to a general idea rather than a particular
thing. For example, you might ask your friend, “Should I
bring a gift to the party?” Your friend will understand that
you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific
item. “I am going to bring an apple pie,” your friend tells
you. Again, the indefinite article indicates that she is not
talking about a specific apple pie. Your friend probably
doesn’t even have any pie yet. The indefinite article only
appears with singular nouns. Consider the following
examples of indefinite articles used in context:
 Please hand me a book; any book will do.
 Please hand me an autobiography; any autobiography will
do.
Exceptions: Choosing A or An:
There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before

words that start with consonants and an before words that begin
with vowels. The first letter of the word honor, for example, is a
consonant, but it’s unpronounced. In spite of its spelling, the
word honor begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use an.
Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this
concept.
My mother is a honest woman. (Incorrect)

My mother is an honest woman. (Correct)
Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is
pronounced with a consonant sound, use a, as in the sample
sentence below:
She is an United States senator. (Incorrect)

She is a United States senator. (Correct)
This holds true with acronyms and initialisms, too: an LCD
display, a UK-based company, an HR department, a URL.
Article Before an Adjective: Sometimes an article modifies a

noun that is also modified by an adjective. The usual word order
is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite,
choose a or an based on the word that immediately follows it.
Consider the following examples for reference:
 Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s party.
 I heard an interesting story yesterday.
Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns: Uncountable

nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count.
Uncountable nouns include intangible things (e.g., information,
air), liquids (e.g., milk, wine), and things that are too large or
numerous to count (e.g., equipment, sand, wood). Because
these things can’t be counted, you should never
use a or an with them—remember, the indefinite article is only
for singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can be modified by words
like some, however. Consider the examples below for reference:
Please give me a water. (incorrect)

Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the
indefinite article.
Please give me some water. (correct)

However, if you describe the water in terms of countable units
(like bottles), you can use the indefinite article.
Please give me a bottle of water. (correct)

Please give me an ice. (Incorrect)
Please give me an ice cube. (Correct)
Please give me some ice. (correct)
Note that depending on the context, some nouns can be
countable or uncountable (e.g., hair, noise, time):
We need a light in this room. (Correct)

We need some light in this room. (Correct)
Using Articles with Pronouns: Possessive pronouns can help

identify whether you’re talking about specific or nonspecific
items. As we’ve seen, articles also indicate specificity. But if you
use both a possessive pronoun and an article at the same time,
readers will become confused. Possessive pronouns are words
like his, my, our, its, her, and their. Articles should not be used
with pronouns. Consider the examples below.
Why are you reading the my book? (Incorrect)

The and my should not be used together since they are both
meant to modify the same noun. Instead, you should use one or
the other, depending on the intended meaning:
Why are you reading the book? (Correct)

Why are you reading my book? (Correct)
Omission of Articles: Occasionally, articles are omitted

altogether before certain nouns. In these cases, the article is
implied but not actually present. This implied article is
sometimes called a “zero article.” Often, the article is omitted
before nouns that refer to abstract ideas. Look at the following
examples:
Let’s go out for a dinner tonight. (incorrect)

Let’s go out for dinner tonight. (Correct)
The creativity is a valuable quality in children. (Incorrect)
Creativity is a valuable quality in children. (Correct)
Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article.

Consider the example below:
I studied the French in high school for four years. (Incorrect)

I studied French in high school for four years. (Correct)
Sports and academic subjects do not require articles. See the
sentences below for reference:
I like to play the baseball. (Incorrect)

I like to play baseball . (correct)
My sister was always good at the math. (Incorrect)
My sister was always good at math. (Correct)

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What Are Articles?

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.

1. After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good. By

English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite.

1. The Definite Article: The definite article is the word the. It

2. The Indefinite Article: The indefinite article takes two

Exceptions: Choosing A or An:

There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before

My mother is a honest woman. (Incorrect)

She is an United States senator. (Incorrect)

Article Before an Adjective: Sometimes an article modifies a

Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns: Uncountable

Please give me a water. (incorrect)

Please give me some water. (correct)

Please give me a bottle of water. (correct)

We need a light in this room. (Correct)

Using Articles with Pronouns: Possessive pronouns can help

Why are you reading the my book? (Incorrect)

Why are you reading the book? (Correct)

Omission of Articles: Occasionally, articles are omitted

Let’s go out for a dinner tonight. (incorrect)

Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article.

I studied the French in high school for four years. (Incorrect)

I like to play the baseball. (Incorrect)

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