Use a or an for one countable thing mentioned for the first time, and the for a specific thing that both people know about. Plural and uncountable nouns used in a general sense usually take no article.
a, an or the: forms and main uses
A and an are indefinite articles. Use them with singular countable nouns: a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound. The sound matters, not the spelling: a university, an hour.
- a / an — the first mention of a thing, or one of many: I need a pen.
- the — a specific thing both people know about, the only one of its kind (the sun), or a second mention.
- the with superlatives: the best.
When no article is needed
Use no article for general statements and for certain fixed uses:
- plural and uncountable nouns in a general sense: Water is good for you.
- most names of people, cities and countries: Maria lives in Odesa.
- languages and meals: I speak English. We had dinner at home.
- I have a cat. The cat is black.First mention (a), then a known cat (the).
- She is an engineer.With jobs, say what someone is with a or an.
- I’d like an apple, please.One apple, any apple; an is used before a vowel sound.
- Can you close the window?The window in this room, the one we both see.
- Water is good for you.An uncountable noun in a general sense: no article.
- Maria lives in Odesa.Names of people and most cities: no article.
- The sun rises in the east.A unique thing: the.
- He is the best player on our team.Superlatives take the: the best.
The most common mistake for learners whose language has no articles, such as Ukrainian or Russian, is dropping them: “I’m teacher” is wrong, and “I’m a teacher” is correct. With a singular countable noun, a or an is almost always required.
Check yourself
Fill in a, an or the, or leave the gap empty if no article is needed. Then reveal the answer:
1.Can you pass me ___ salt, please?
Answer
the salt (the salt that is on the table)
2.She works as ___ English teacher.
Answer
an English teacher (English starts with a vowel sound)
3.I don’t like ___ coffee without milk.
Answer
coffee (no article: coffee in general)
4.Yesterday I saw ___ dog in the park. ___ dog was huge.
Answer
a dog. The dog was huge.
To practise articles and their exceptions, try our English grammar quizzes. Full explanations and practice are part of our lessons. Book a free trial lesson and we’ll work through your article mistakes together.
