Articles are the smallest words in English and the biggest source of small mistakes. Many languages do not have them, so learners either add them everywhere or drop them everywhere.
There is a simple idea behind the whole system. A and an mean "one of many, and new to you". The means "a specific one, and you know which one". No article means "in general".
Once you can ask "is this new or known?" and "is this general or specific?", most article choices answer themselves. This page drills both questions with 20 sentences.
The rule
The big idea: new or known
- Use a or an for one thing the listener does not know yet: "I bought a shirt."
- Use the for something the listener can identify: "The shirt was too small."
- The second mention takes the: a shirt first, the shirt after.
- Words that only exist once take the: the sun, the moon, the sky, the internet, the government.
A or an: listen to the sound
- Use an before a vowel sound: an apple, an idea, an old house, an hour.
- Use a before a consonant sound: a book, a car, a university, a European country.
- The rule follows the sound, not the letter. "Hour" starts with an h but sounds like "our", so it takes an.
- "University" starts with a u but sounds like "you", so it takes a. The same is true of a useful app.
- Abbreviations follow their spoken sound: an MBA, a UFO, an SMS.
No article: plurals, uncountable nouns and general ideas
- No article before a plural noun used in general: "Cats are independent." Not "The cats are independent" when you mean all cats.
- No article before an uncountable noun used in general: "I like music", "Water boils at 100 degrees".
- No article with most countries, cities and languages: "She lives in Japan", "He speaks Italian".
- No article in many fixed places and times: go to bed, go to school, go to work, be at home, at night, in the morning, by car, on foot.
The: specific, obvious and unique
- Use the when both people can picture the thing: "Close the door" means the only door in the room.
- Use the with superlatives and ordinal numbers: the best day, the first time, the only option.
- Use the with the cinema, the theatre, the beach, the doctor when it is a known place: "I am going to the dentist."
- Use the with groups: the rich, the young, the French, the police.
Jobs, instruments and fixed patterns
- Jobs take a or an: "She is a teacher", "He is an engineer".
- Musical instruments take the: "I play the piano", "She plays the guitar". Sports take no article: "I play tennis".
- Some illnesses take the in British English: "I have a headache", "She has the flu".
- A few expressions change meaning with the: "go to school" (as a student) versus "go to the school" (to the building).
Examples
- There is a cat in the garden.The cat is new to you. The garden is the one at our house.
- An hour ago, I saw a doctor.An before the vowel sound in hour. A because the doctor is new information.
- She studies at a university in Spain.A before the "you" sound in university.
- The sun is bright today.There is only one sun, so the fits.
- I love music. The music at the party was too loud.Music in general takes no article. Specific music takes the.
- He plays the guitar but he plays football every weekend.Instruments take the; sports take no article.
- We went to the beach on Sunday.Both people know which beach, or the beach near here.
- She is a nurse at the city hospital.A for the job, the for the specific hospital.
- The rich should pay more tax.The plus an adjective names a whole group.
- I have a headache and a sore throat.Everyday illnesses take a or an in British English.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I am student. Right: I am a student.
- A singular countable noun needs an article. Jobs always take a or an.
- Wrong: She is an university student. Right: She is a university student.
- The article follows the sound. University starts with a "you" sound, a consonant sound.
- Wrong: I like the music from the 1980s. Right: I like music from the 1980s.
- A general category takes no article. The music would mean one specific piece or album.
- Wrong: The most people enjoy holidays. Right: Most people enjoy holidays.
- Most plus a plural noun takes no article. In this pattern "the" is wrong.
- Wrong: I go to the bed at eleven. Right: I go to bed at eleven.
- Fixed expressions such as go to bed, go to school and go to work take no article when they describe the activity.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I bought ___ umbrella because it was raining.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. an Umbrella starts with a vowel sound, so it takes an. This is the first mention, so a new item.
She works as ___ engineer in Berlin.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. an Engineer starts with a vowel sound, so an. Jobs take a or an.
___ sun rises in the east.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The There is only one sun, and everyone can identify it. That is the job of the.
I play ___ piano every evening.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. the Musical instruments take the: play the piano, play the guitar. Sports take no article.
Cats are independent animals. ___ cats next door are very friendly.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The The first sentence is general. The second sentence is about a known group, the cats next door, so it takes the.
He studies at ___ university in Canada.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a University starts with a "you" sound, which is a consonant sound, so it takes a.
We waited for ___ hour at the station.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. an The h in hour is silent, so the word starts with a vowel sound and takes an.
I like ___ music, especially jazz.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. no article Music in general is uncountable, so it takes no article.
Please close ___ window. It is cold in here.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. the Both people know which window. A known, specific thing takes the.
My sister is ___ nurse.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a A singular countable job noun takes a or an; nurse takes a.
___ information you sent me was very useful.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The The information is specific: the information that you sent. Use the.
She goes to ___ work by bus every day.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. no article Fixed expressions such as go to work take no article.
We visited ___ Philippines last year.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. the Country names are usually used without an article, but a few take the, including the Philippines, the Netherlands and the United States.
He is ___ honest man.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. an The h in honest is silent, so the word starts with a vowel sound and takes an.
I need ___ new phone. ___ phone I have is five years old.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a ... The The first phone is new information, so a. The second mention is known, so the.
___ most students passed the exam.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. no article Most plus a plural noun takes no article: most students.
They live in ___ Netherlands.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. the A small group of country names takes the, including the Netherlands and the Philippines.
I am going to ___ dentist this afternoon.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. the Going to the dentist is a fixed phrase for the usual check-up, and both people know which appointment.
Can you give me ___ advice?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. no article Advice is uncountable, so it never takes a or an, and here it is not specific, so it takes no article.
This is ___ best coffee in town.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. the Superlatives take the: the best coffee, the first time, the only option.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Prepositions of time and place: at, on and inTake the level test
Questions learners ask
Why do some languages make articles so hard?
Many languages, including Russian, Polish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, have no article system at all. If your first language does not mark new and known nouns, every English article is a decision. The fix is to learn the whole phrase: not "go to bed" but "bed" as a fixed phrase, and to notice articles when you read.
What is a zero article?
A zero article means no word at all. It happens before plural nouns in general statements (books are expensive), before uncountable nouns (information is useful), with most countries (I live in Brazil) and in fixed phrases (at home, by bus).
Is "the Internet" or "Internet" correct?
Both appear, but modern style guides prefer "the internet" with a lowercase i. Write "the internet" in normal prose and keep "the".
More grammar topics
Prepositions of time and place: at, on and in
At, on and in for clock times, days and periods, and for points, surfaces and spaces.
The passive voice
Be plus past participle, when the doer matters and when the result matters more.
Modal verbs: can, could, must, should, may
No -s, no to, no do: what modals share, and which one fits each job.
Take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.