1.1.4 Articles

1.1.4 Articles (a / an / the)

What are articles?

Articles are words used before nouns.
They help us know if we are talking about:

• something general or specific

• something new or known

English has three articles: a, an, the

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Indefinite Articles: a and an

We use a / an with:

• singular nouns

• when we talk about something for the first time

• when it is not specific

Use of a

• Used before words that begin with a consonant sound

Examples:

• a book

• a dog

• a teacher

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Use of an

• Used before words that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)

Examples:

• an apple

• an egg

• an umbrella

📌 Important:
It depends on the sound, not the letter.

• an hour (silent h)

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Definite Article: the

We use the when:

• the noun is specific

• both the speaker and listener know the thing

• the noun was mentioned before

Examples:

• The book is on the table.

• I see a dog. The dog is big.

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Articles in Simple Sentences

• I have a pen.

• She is an engineer.

• The house is big.

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Common Errors (Basic)

• ❌ a apple

• ✅ an apple

• ❌ the a book

• ✅ a book

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Practice Activities

• Choosing a / an / the in sentences

• Matching nouns with correct articles

• Speaking practice with simple objects

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🎯 Objective of 1.1.4

By the end of this topic, students can:

• Use a, an, and the correctly

• Identify when to use indefinite and definite articles

• Form simple sentences using articles