Articles

An article is used to introduce a noun.
The article the refers a specific person, place, or thing.
The articles a and an refer to any person, place, or thing.

Use a before words beginning with consonant sounds, even if that sound is made by a vowel. (Remember: consonants are all the letters of the alphabet except a, e, i, o and u.)

a bat
a university
a yo-yo
a one hundred-dollar bill


Use an before words beginning with vowel sounds, even if that vowel sound is made by a consonant. (Remember: the vowels are a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y.)

an apple
an eel
an M&M
an hour (silent h)




[Back to The Language Lab][Back to the Classroom]