A/an/the Articles.

The articles are words used to define whether something is specific (The Definite
Article) or unspecific (The Indefinite Article).

When to use which article.

Singular nouns

Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the.

Un, una
We use a/an – the indefinite article – when we talk about something for the first
time, or something that is part of a group or type.

I saw a good film yesterday.

Do you want a drink?

If the word starts with a vowel sound, you should use “an”. If it starts with a
consonant sound, you should use “a”.

For example:

I want to go home in an hour.

An unknown man entered a house.

Although house and hour both start with the same three letters (h-o-u) we
use an with hour and a with house because hour starts with a vowel sound
and house starts with a consonant sound.

el, la, los, las

We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing
we are talking about because it was mentioned before or because there's only one
of them.

I'm going to take the dog for a walk.

Have you seen the car key?
They go to the school next to the bridge.

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Jobs

When we say what people's jobs are, we usually use a/an.

He's an architect.
She's a doctor.
My father was a scientist.

Things in general

When we talk about things in general, we normally use a plural or uncountable

noun with no article.

School is mandatory.
Water boils at 100°C.
Adults need to exercise.

Particular groups of things

When we talk about a particular group of things, we use the.

We went to the garden and saw the garden gnomes. (These are the particular
garden gnomes in that garden – not garden gnomes in general.)

Common phrases

We don't usually use an article in expressions with bed, work and home.

a) go to bed / be in bed

b) go to work / start work / finish work

c) go home / get home / stay at home

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We also don't typically use an article in expressions with
school, university, prison and hospital.

a) start school / go to school

b) go to university / be at university

c) be sent to prison / go to prison

d) go to hospital / be in hospital

But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the place, and not there as a
student/prisoner/patient, etc.

My son has started school now. I went to the school to meet his new teachers.
I went to the prison a lot when my father was there.
I'm at the hospital. My friend was just in an accident.

Place names

We don't normally use an article for continents, most countries, cities, towns,
lakes, mountains or universities. So, we say:

a) America, Europe, Africa

b) Spain, Argentina, Canada
c) Madrid, London, New York City
d) Lake Superior, Lake Tana
e) Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro
f) Harvard University, Stanford University

Some countries are different. Country names with United have the. There are other
countries which are exceptions too. So, we say:

a) The United Arab Emirates

b) The United Kingdom

c) The United States of America

d) The Bahamas

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 e) The Philippines

Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:

a) the Atlantic

b) the Pacific

c) the Indian

d) the Mediterranean

e) the Andes

f) the Alps

g) the Nile

h) the Amazon

Universities with of in the title also have the:

a) the University of Cape Town

b) the University of Miami

c) the Autonomous University of Madrid

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 Grammar Practice

Choose the, a, an or ---(no article)

1) Kate has been talking to ______ customer who has just come into ______
shop.

2) John uses ______ Internet a lot.

3) She went to ______ zoo, but she didn't see ______ monkeys there. She
hates ______ monkeys.

4) You won't like that restaurant. ______ food isn't very good there.

5) People don't write ______ letters nowadays. They write ______ emails. But
I haven't written ______ email for ages.

6) In England you must go to ______ school until you're 16.

7) Well Mary, here's ______ first question and it's ______ easy one.

8) Jerry works in ______ office in ______ centre of ______ London.

9) He lives in ______ apartment in ______ middle of ______ Bronx.

10) Statistics say that ______ women live longer than ______ men.

11) Can you describe ______ wristwatch that Amy found? – Well, I only know
that it had ______metal band.

12) Jamaica is ______ island in ______ Caribbean Sea.

13) He chose ______ school that has ______ best teachers.

14) I saw ______ interesting documentary on ______ TV ______ other day.

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15) I don't like ______ museums. I never go to any when I'm in ______ London.

16) My dad thinks ______ Italian food is better than ______ Spanish food.

17) I like ______ coffee but I don't like ______ coffee they make at ______
office.

18) She has ______ job in ______ shop in ______ Oxford Street.

19) My friend Zoe went to ______ hospital to see her father.

20) Larry went to ______ bed very late last night.

21) She's looking for ______ work but at ______ moment she doesn't have any
hope of getting______ job.

22) I have ______ aunt in Sydney and ______ few other relatives in ______
New Zealand.

23) Jim wants to go to ______ USA, but he hasn't got ______ money for ______
trip.

24) Angela is looking for ______ romantic holiday somewhere in ______ south.

25) The man went to ______ prison because he had killed two women.