Articles

What Are Articles?

• Articles are three small words (A, An, The) that we put before nouns (people, places, or things).
• They act like "pointers" that tell us if we are talking about something general or something specific.
• Articles help our sentences sound complete and natural.

The "A" and "An" Rule (General) We use A and An when we are talking about any one thing (not a specific one).

Use "A" for Consonants If the word starts with a Consonant sound, use A.

• A Ball (B is a consonant)
• A Cat (C is a consonant)
• A House (H is a consonant)

Use "An" for Vowels If the word starts with a Vowel sound (A, E, I, O, U), use An.

• An Apple (A is a vowel)
• An Egg (E is a vowel)
• An Orange (O is a vowel)

The "The" Rule (Specific) We use The when we are talking about a specific thing that everyone knows, or something we have already mentioned.

• General: "I saw a dog." (Could be any dog).
• Specific: "The dog was brown." (We are talking about the specific dog I just saw).
• Unique Things: We use "The" for things that are one-of-a-kind.
• The Sun
• The Moon
• The Sky

Why Do We Learn This?

• Clear Speaking: It helps people understand if you want any pencil or your specific pencil.
• Better Writing: Using articles correctly makes your stories and essays look professional.
• Sentence Flow: Without articles, English sounds "choppy" (like saying "I want apple" instead of "I want an apple").

Lesson Summary

• Use A for words starting with consonant sounds (B, C, D...).
• Use An for words starting with vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U).
• Use The for specific things or things that are unique.