When do we use “A, An or The”?
- a = indefinite article + consonants but an+ vowels (not a specific object, one in general) She has a dog, I work in a factory BUT Can I have an apple?, She is an English teacher.
- the = definite article (a specific object, one or ones in particular) The car over there is fast. The teacher (our teacher) is very good, isn’t he?
RULES:
- The first time you speak of something use “a or an”, the next time you repeat that object use “the”. For example: I can see a cat. The cat is sitting on a chair. The chair is brown. The cat can see a mouse. The mouse starts running into a hole when it sees the cat so the cat can’t catch the mouse.
- Ø NO ARTICLE
1. when you are speaking about things in general (uncountable + plurals)
I like Russian tea.
She likes reading books.
I like Russian tea.
She likes reading books.
2. when you are speaking about meals, times, some places (home, work, school, university…) and transport.
He has milk for breakfast. I get up at 7. I go to the gym on Monday. I go to university. I go home. I go to work. He comes to work by taxi.
He has milk for breakfast. I get up at 7. I go to the gym on Monday. I go to university. I go home. I go to work. He comes to work by taxi.
3. with names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian
4. with names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball. Ex. I play football
5. with names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science
6. with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as “The United States”, “The United Kingdom”.
- He lives in Washington near Mount Rainier.
They live in Columbia
BUT use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas -My country borders on the Pacific Ocean
Now you are ready to complete some exercises to practice:
- the or Ø? 1
