ARTICLES
A, AN, THE
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
A
Before none particular
nouns
DEFINITE ARTICLES
AN
THE
Before nouns that
begin with a vowel
sound
Before particular nouns
‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ’o’, ‘u’
sounds
An hour/ An honour /
An s and an l
Before nouns that are previously mentioned
Not before Y sound in
‘u’
A unicorn (not an)
Names
Countries: The United States
Mountains: the Himalayas
Islands: the Canary Islands
Oceans and seas: the Antarctic
Rivers and canals: the Mahaveli
Deserts: the Sahara
Newspapers: the Daily Mirror
Government bodies: the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Holy or great books: the Bible
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
A
DEFINITE ARTICLES
AN
Proper nouns
Continents: Asia
Countries: Sri Lanka
Cities
Days and months
Languages and subjects: English
Meals: lunch
Illnesses: headache
Planets: Pluto
Non-specific plural nouns: teachers, students,
cats
THE
To refer to the entire species of an animal
The koalas
Advanced Articles A(An) vs. The | ENGLISH
PAGE
The wolf is not really a dangerous animal. (=
Wolves are not really dangerous animals.)
The kangaroo is found only in Australia. (=
Kangaroos are found only in Australia.)
The heart pumps blood around the body. (=
Hearts pump blood around bodies.)