English Grammar - Articles : A, An, The

English Grammar: Articles (A, An, The)

1. What Are Articles?

Articles are small words used before nouns. There are three types:

- A (used before consonant sounds)

- An (used before vowel sounds)

- The (used for specific things)

2. When to Use "A" and "An"

Use "A" before words that start with a consonant sound:

- a cat, a book, a university ("university" sounds like "yoo")

Use "An" before words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u):

- an apple, an hour (silent "h"), an honest person (silent "h")

Exceptions:

- A European country (sounds like "yoo")

- An hour (silent "h")

3. When to Use "The"

Use "The" when talking about something specific or already known:

- The sun is hot. (Only one sun exists.)

- I saw the dog that bit me. (A particular dog.)

Also use "The" for:

- Unique things (the moon, the Earth)

- Superlatives (the best, the tallest)

- Rivers, mountains, oceans (the Ganges, the Pacific)

4. When NOT to Use Articles

No article is needed with:

- General plural/uncountable nouns:

  - Cats are cute. (Not "The cats" unless specific.)

- Names of people/places:

  - She lives in Delhi. (Not "the Delhi")

- Meals, languages, sports:

  - We ate dinner. (Not "the dinner")

  - He speaks Hindi.

5. Common Mistakes

Wrong: She is a honest woman. (Correct: an honest)

Wrong: I need an pencil. (Correct: a pencil)

Wrong: The happiness is important. (Correct: Happiness is important.)