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ZZ.1 Identify and use articles

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What are articles?

Articles are special words that come before nouns. They help us know whether we are talking about something specific or something general.

Examples:
  • “I saw a cat in the yard.” (any cat, not a specific one)
  • “I saw the cat on the porch.” (a specific cat already known)
Helpful hint

Remember: Articles always come before nouns. They give the reader important clues about the noun.

The three articles in English

In English, there are only three articles: a, an, and the.

Example Sentences:
  • “She read a book.”
  • “He ate an apple.”
  • “We saw the moon.”
Helpful hint

a is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, an before words that begin with a vowel sound, and the is used for something specific.

When to use “a” or “an”

We choose between a and an based on the sound that follows, not just the first letter.

Examples:
  • “a dog” (d is a consonant sound)
  • “a unicorn” (u makes a “you” sound, not a vowel sound)
  • “an elephant” (e is a vowel sound)
  • “an hour” (h is silent, so it begins with a vowel sound)
Helpful hint

Always listen to the sound, not just the letter, when deciding whether to use a or an.

When to use “the”

The is used when we are talking about something specific, something we already know, or something unique.

Examples:
  • “Please close the door.” (a specific door everyone knows about)
  • “We looked at the stars.” (the stars in the sky, unique and known to all)
Helpful hint

Use the when both the writer and the reader know which thing is being talked about.

Putting it all together

Articles make sentences clear and complete. They tell us whether we mean any one thing or a special, known thing.

Examples:
  • “I saw a bird in the tree. The bird was singing.”
  • “He ate an orange. The orange was very sweet.”
Helpful hint

Think: Am I talking about any one thing (a or an) or a special thing that we already know (the)?

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