Indefinite and Definite Articles

What is an article?
Basically, articles are either definite or indefinite. They combine to a noun to indicate the type
of reference being made by the noun.

 The Definite article is “THE”. (singular or plural)

 The Indefinite article is A / An. (singular)

1. Indefinite Articles (a – an)

The article a / an is used when we don't specify what we are
talking about (Things, situations or people):

 I met a friend.
 I work in a factory in New York.

 I borrow a pencil from a passenger I just talk with.

The indefinite article “a” is used before a consonant sound:

 a dog.
 a pilot

 a teacher.

 a university

NOTE:
Although 'university' starts with the vowel 'u', it is not pronounced as such. It is
pronounced as a consonant sound /ju:.niv3:.si.ti/

 It means this is a sound rule !

The indefinite article “an” is used before a vowel sound:

 an engineer.
 an elephant.

 an athlete

 an honest
“An” is used before singular count nouns beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
or vowel sound:

 an apple, an elephant, an issue, an orange

“A” is used before singular count nouns beginning with consonants (another ones
except a, e, i, o, u):

 a stamp, a desk, a TV, a cup, a book

Used before number collectives and some numbers:

 a dozen
 a gallon

Used before a singular noun followed by a restrictive modifier:

 a girl who was wearing a yellow hat

Used with nouns to form adverbial phrases of amount quantity, , or degree:

 I feel a bit depressed.

 There is a lot of money at the bank.

 The temperature falls a few degrees.

 I got a degree in Accounting.

2. Definite Article (the)

Used to indicate a noun that is definite or previously specified in the context:

 Please close the door.

 I like the clothes you gifted me.

Used to indicate a noun that is unique:

 Praise the Lord!

 The Columbia River is near here.

Used to designate a natural phenomenon:

 The rain doesn’t stop.

 The wind is blowing so hard.

Used to refer to a time period:

 I was very naive (tonto) in the past.

 This song was very popular in the 1980’s.

 We will have flying cars in the future.

Used to indicate all the members of a family:

 I invited The Hiltons for dinner.

 This medicine was invented by the Smiths.

When a singular noun represents a whole class.

 The camel is a beast of burden. (Here the singular noun camel is used to refer to
all the camels.)

Note that when a plural noun is used to talk about things in general, articles are usually
omitted.

 Camels are beasts of burden.

 Mansions are expensive.

More examples are given below:

 The whale is a kind of mammal.

 The rose smells sweet.

 The tiger is a predator.

Note that the article ‘the’ is never used before the nouns ‘man’ and ‘woman’ when they
represent the whole class.

Man is mortal. (NOT The man is mortal.)

While speaking of something or somebody already referred to

 The boy who came to see me yesterday was my brother.

 The story that he told us yesterday was very interesting.

While speaking of a particular person or thing

 The poor beggar could not get any alms.

When you refer to classics and holy books

 Examples are: The Ramayana; The Mahabharata; The Iliad

Note that when the author’s name is mentioned with the book, the article is usually
omitted.

Homer’s Iliad (NOT Homer’s the Iliad).

While referring to the names of journals and newspapers

The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal

When we refer to imaginary geographical lines

Examples are: The equator; the Tropic of Cancer; the Tropic of Capricorn; the latitude;
the longitude
When you make comparision between things or people using superlative form:

 We are three siblings, Carlos (30 years) , Ximena (25 years) and Jonny (20
years), where Carlos is The oldest brother and Jonny is The Youngest brother.

 Between Peru and Canada , I think Canada has The highest quality of life.

Exercises
Choose the correct article in each sentence.

1) Do you bring an (a, an, the) umbrella?

2) Are you looking for a (a, an, the) job?

3) I checked the (a, an, the) mailbox again.

4) Can I have a (a, an, the) spoon please?

5) I was born into a (a, an, the) rich family.

6) She will come back in an (a, an, the) hour.

7) Do you know the (a, an, the) Everest mountain?

8) I would like to talk to one of the (a, an, the) managers.

9) What an (a, an, the) amazing view!

10) The helicopter landed on the (a, an, the) roof of a building.

11) My mom is buying a (a, an, the) new Book. The book is aimed at Marketing
Statistics.

12) Doing exercises is a (a, an, the) good option, but eating healthy and exercising are
the (a, an, the) best choices for everyone.

13) The (a, an, the) river is located in the USA.

14) When you sail from Peru to Japan you cross over The (a, an, the) Pacific Ocean.

15) Hey Victor, yesterday I was dreaming about a (a, an, the) unicorn, it has a (a, an,
the) horn and the (a, an, the) horn has magical powers. Fortunately, the (a, an, the)
unicorn became my friend.