We have three articles in the English language: a, an, the
Each of these words goes right in front of a noun, just like other adjectives.
Use a and an to describe a noun in a general way.
Bob ate an apple.
Sam read a book.
We are not sure which apple was eaten or which book was read – just a book and an apple.
Use the to describe a specific noun, like this:
Bob ate the apple.
Sam read the book.
Using the helps us know that Bob ate a certain apple – the apple. Sam read a specific book – the book.
Always use the article an in front of a noun that begins with a vowel – a, e, i, o, u
an orange, an octopus, an umbrella, an apricot, an ice cube, an elephant, an eagle, an alligator
All of these words begin with a vowel, so we use the article an with each of these words.
Always use the article a in front of a noun that begins with a consonant – any letter than is not a vowel.
a duck, a bear, a banana, a cow, a rock, a tree, a lamb, a goat, a potato, a song, a kangaroo
There are three articles in the English language: a, an, the. These articles are adjectives and go right in front of a noun to modify the noun.