Articles in English Grammar

english.lingolia.com/en/grammar/articles

Introduction
Articles are words that precede nouns. There are two kinds of articles in the English
language. The indefinite articles a/an and the definite article the. We use the definite
article with previously-mentioned nouns and the indefinite articles with nouns that are
mentioned for the first time. There’s also a list of nouns that we typically use with no
article.

Learn about the usage of definite and indefinite articles in English grammar. Then test
your knowledge in the interactive exercises.

Example

Ms Smith is a businesswoman. She is in a hotel

room. There is a bed, a carpet and a bedside table
in the room. On the bedside table there is a
bedside lamp.

Ms Smith has got two pieces of luggage: a suitcase

and a handbag. The suitcase is very heavy.

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The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article in English is a/an. We use the indefinite article:

to talk about something unspecified

Example:
Ms Smith is in a hotel room.
some hotel room
It is not specified exactly which hotel room she is in.

to mention something in a text for the first time (introductory)

Example:
There is a bed, a carpet and a bedside table.
Ms Smith has got two pieces of luggage: a suitcase and a handbag.

in job titles
Example:
Ms Smith is a businesswoman.

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To Note
We use an instead of a before words that begin with a vowel or vowel sound or (i.e.
silent h),.

Example:
an apple (not: a apple)
an hour (not: a hour)

The vowel u at the beginning of a word is sometimes pronounced [ʌ] and sometimes
[ju]. When pronounced [ʌ], we use an. When pronounced [ju], we use a:

Example:
an umbrella (but: a university)

The Definite Article

The definite article in English is the. We use the definite article:

to talk about something specific

Example:
There is a bed, a carpet and a bedside table in the room.
a certain room, i.e. the one she is in

when we have already mentioned something or assume it to be already known

Example:
Ms Smith has got two pieces of luggage: a suitcase and a handbag. The suitcase is
very heavy.

To Note
Usually we pronounce the definite article [ðə]. If the following word begins with a vowel
sound, however, we pronounce the definite article [ðı].

No Article
We generally don’t use any article for:

plural nouns that refer to general people/things (but: for specific people/things
we use an article)
Example:
Businesswomen travel a lot.
(but: The businesswomen that I know travel a lot.)
Hotels are very expensive.
(but: The hotels in this area are affordable.)

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the names of towns, streets, squares, parks
Example:
Ms Smith is in Dublin. Her hotel is in Merrion Street between Fitzwilliam Square
and Merrion Park.

the names of countries (except for the Netherlands those containing Kingdom,
Republic, State, Union)
Example:
Dublin is in Ireland.
(but: Miami is in the USA./We go to the Netherlands every summer.)

the names of continents and lakes

Example:
Ireland is a country in Europe.
Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world.

the names of days and months (except when specified)

Example:
She travelled to Ireland in May. She arrived on Monday.
(but: She arrived on a rainy Monday.)

with adverbs of time such as next/last

Example:
She left last Monday and is coming back next Wednesday.

meals
Example:
The hotel serves breakfast between 8 and 10 o’clock.

languages that a person knows

Example:
Ms Smith speaks English.

institutions such as school, university, hospital, prison (but not when we are
talking about one particular school, university etc.)
Example:
The children go to school.
(but: Her son and my daughter go to the school at the end of the street.)

in certain expressions with bed, class, home, work

Example:
go to bed
be in class
after work
come home

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materials (e.g. paper, wood, water, milk, iron), but only when generalising (if we’re
talking about one particular thing, we have to use an article.)
Example:
Paper is made of wood.
We need to buy milk.
(but: Where is the paper for the printer?)

abstract nouns i.e. things that you can’t touch, in a general context
Example:
Life is complicated.
Hope dies last.
What’s on TV today?
(but: We never eat dinner in fron of the TV.)

expressions with go by + means of transport

Example:
Did she get to the hotel by bus or by taxi?

expressions with play + sport (but not: play + musical instrument)

Example:
He plays tennis.
(but: She plays the piano.)

Titles and departments used with verbs like be, become, elect, appoint
Example:
When was Barack Obama elected President?
She was appointed Executive Director.

We don’t usually use articles with parts of the body of personal objects. Instead,
we use possessive determiners (my, your, …).
Example:
I put my hand in my pocket.
The children are brushing their teeth.

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