ESL Grammar: ARTICLES (a/an/the)

This ESL grammar lesson presents a short conversation and a sentence pattern to help students understand when to use the articles “a/an” and “the.” Understanding how to use articles correctly is a fundamental aspect of English grammar.

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. There are three articles in English: “a,” “an,” and “the.” This page will guide you through the rules and usage of these articles, providing clear examples and practical exercises to enhance your learning.

ESL Grammar: Indefinite Articles: A and An

The indefinite articles “a” and “an” are used to refer to a non-specific item. The choice between “a” and “an” depends on the sound that follows them:

• Use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound: a cat, a dog, a university (note that “university” starts with a “yoo” sound).
• Use “an” before words that begin with a vowel sound: an apple, an elephant, an hour (the “h” in “hour” is silent).

ESL Grammar: Definite Article: The

The definite article “the” is used to refer to a specific item known to both the speaker and the listener. For example:

The book you lent me was fascinating.

The cat on the roof is mine.

Please pass me the salt.

This beginner-level English grammar lesson on nouns is perfect for both online and in-person classes, offering diverse content to suit any learning environment. Explore this and many similar grammar lessons for all levels on our page of ESL grammar lessons.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on all different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and lots more!) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 1: Parts of Speech).