Nouns are words that name a person, a place, a thing, or an idea.
A, an, and the are the articles. We use articles with common nouns. Any time you see one of the articles, you know that a noun will follow.
A, an, and the always indicate that a noun is coming next.
The is a definite article. We use it in front of a noun when we are speaking about a specific noun.
I read the book.
I peeled the orange.
In these sentences, we are talking about a particular book you read or a particular orange you peeled.
The words a and an are indefinite articles. They do not point to a specific noun.
I read a book.
I peeled an orange.
In these sentences, the book you read could be any book. The orange you peeled could be any orange.
Did you notice? We use the word an if the next word begins with one of the vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
We use a for nouns that begin with a letter that is not a vowel. (Letters that aren’t vowels are called consonants.)
I ate an apple.
I peeled an orange.
I saw a giraffe.
I read a book.
The articles are noun markers. If you’re wondering whether or not a word is a noun, try putting the with the word. If the makes sense with a word, then the word is a noun.
The house. The toy. These make sense, so house and toy are nouns.
The walking. The noisy. Walking and noisy do not make sense with the, so walking and noisy are not nouns.
Remember, a, an, and the are the only three articles in the English language. Articles are used only with nouns. Use a in front of nouns that begin with a consonant. Use an in front of nouns that begin with a vowel. Use the in front of any specific noun.