How to Use A, An, and The: Indefinite and Definite Articles

Did you know that one of the most confusing parts of English is knowing how to use A, An, and The? Indefinite and Definite Articles really aren’t that complicated.

I will show you how to do them quickly. I have even made a short video lesson to help you learn when exactly you need to use the articles A, An and The.

Definition

There are two main types of articles:

Definite Article

The is an indefinite article. You use the to identify the noun.

Indefinite Article

A and an are indefinite articles. They are used when talking about a general noun, or if the identity is not known.

A  used in before the sound of a consonant.

An used before the sound of a vowel.

** Remember it’s about the sound, not the letter!

I go to a university.

I see an umbrella.

Examples

1. The sky is blue.

2. I need a doctor.

3. I see the drawing of an egg and a chick.

And… an article is not needed before some proper nouns like the names of companies, countries, states, cities, mountains; for example, Canada is country in North America. Mount Fuji is a famous volcano in Japan. This situation is called ‘zero article;. Of course, there are always exceptions like The United States of America, The People’s Republic of China.

To get even more examples, you can watch this video on Articles and learn how to know when to use A, An and The.

Worksheet 

1. I look up at ___ sky.

2. I wish I had ___ book to read at bedtime.

3. Look at ___ elephant at the zoo.

4. This was ____ delicious meal.

5. I will be there in ___ hour.

Answers

1. the
2. a
3. the
4. a
5. an