Using A – An - The in English - Lessons For English

Using A – An – The in English

Using A;

A is used in front of singular countable nouns ( a person, animal or thing ) which are not specific. We don’t use a before uncountable or plural nouns. If a noun starts with a consonant sound (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, etc.), “a” comes before the noun.

Examples;

a cat
a bird
a child
a doctor

Using An

An is used in front of singular countable nouns which are not specific. We don’t use a before uncountable or plural nouns.
If the noun starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u), “an” comes before the noun.

Examples;

an apple
an egg
an ant
an orange

Using The

We use ‘the’ in front of all nouns ( It does not matter whether the nouns are singular, plural countable or uncountable ) to describe someone or something specific or unique.

Examples;