A/an and the

A/an and the: meaning
A/an and the are articles. They are a type of determiner and they go before a noun.
A/an before a noun shows that what is referred to is not already known to the speaker,
listener, writer and/or reader (it is the indefinite article):
Do you have a car?
A:
Do you live in a house?
B:
No, actually, I live in an apartment.
The before a noun shows that what is referred to is already known to the speaker, listener,
writer and/or reader (it is the definite article):
Where did we park the car? (The speaker and the listener know what car is being referred
to.)
We had to paint the apartment before we sold it. (The speaker and the listener know what
apartment is being referred to.)
The makes a noun specific.
Compare

Have you been The speaker is not asking about any one specific ice rink but is
to  an ice rink? asking whether they have been to any ice rink (an doesn’t refer to a
specific ice rink)

Have you been The speaker and listener know the ice rink which is being referred
to  the  ice rink? to (e.g. the one in their town/the local one). The makes the noun ice
rink specific.

Not specific Specific (‘the one you and I know’)

Would you
Would you like to try the apple pie?
like an  apple?

Do you have a cat? Have you seen the cat?

When do we use a and when do we use an?
In speaking, we use a /ə/ before a consonant sound:
a car a house a big truck a wheel a grey day
Warning:
Some words that begin with a vowel letter in writing have a consonant sound:
/ə ju:ˈnaɪtɪd …/ /ə ju:niˈvɜ:sɪti/ /ə wʌn …/
a united group a university a one-year-old child
We use an /ən/ before a vowel sound:
an apple an old shoe an orchestra an umbrella
Warning:
Some words that begin with a consonant letter in writing have a vowel sound:

/ən aʊə(r)/ an /ən empi:θri: …/ an MP3

hour player

How do we pronounce the?
We pronounce the in two ways depending on whether the sound which comes after the is a
vowel or a consonant:

/ði:/ before vowel sounds

/ði: eksɪt/ the /ði: æpəl/ the

exit apple

/ðə/ before consonant sounds

/ðə ti:m/ the /ðə ju:niən/ the

team union

When do we use articles?

A/an and the with types of nouns

Countable nouns

We only use a/an with singular countable nouns:

I have a sister and a  brother.
That was  an excellent meal.
We can use the with singular and plural countable nouns:

The  lion roared. The tree fell.

The  lions The trees

roared. fell.

Uncountable nouns

We don’t use a/an before uncountable nouns:

Could I have rice instead of potatoes with my fish?
Not: Could I have a rice
I hope we have nice weather.
Not: I hope we have a nice weather.
We can use the before uncountable nouns when they refer to a specific example:
The rice  we bought in the Thai shop is much better than the supermarket rice.
The weather was awful last summer.
To talk about an individual quantity or more than one quantity of an uncountable noun, we
use expressions such as a bit of, a piece of or a [specific measure] of:
That’s  an amazing bit of news.
Not: That’s an amazing news.
We just made a big bowl of pasta.
Not: We just made a pasta.
Could I have  a litre of milk, please?
Not: Could I have a milk, please?

General nouns
We only use the with general plural nouns when we are referring to a specific set within a
general class of people or things.
 Compare
Books  are so important in my
life. I mean all books in general.

The books were all over the

floor. I mean specific books (that you and I know).

We can make general nouns specific by using an article and adding more information after
the noun.

The life of a soldier is full of danger. (specifically

Life is wonderful. (life in general) the life of soldiers, not life in general)
She had a life of hard work. (one specific life)

He wrote a book on the history of

History  sometimes repeats boxing. (specifically the history of boxing)
itself. (history in general) The country has a history of going to war. (one
specific history of one country)

Inventions, musical instruments and cultural institutions

When we talk in general about inventions, musical instruments or cultural institutions (such
as the cinema, the theatre, the circus, the opera, the ballet), we often use the:
The computer  must be the greatest invention ever. (The computer as an invention in general,
not a specific computer)
The violin sounds different to the viola.
I love a night at  the  opera.
See also:
 Nouns

No article before determiners (any, some, my, this)

We don’t use an article with other words that specify a noun (determiner), e.g. any, some, my,
her, this, that:

I love my job.
Does she want this book?
Not: I love the my
Not: Does she want the this book?
job.

See also:
 Determiners (the, my, some, this)

The with things that are universally known

We use the with things known to everyone (the sun, the stars, the moon, the earth, the planet)
because they are a part of our physical environment or part of the natural world:
The earth moves around the sun.
We lay on  the grass  and watched the stars.

The with everyday things

We use the with things that we know as part of our daily lives. The does not refer to particular
things in this context.
I don’t buy the newspaper these days. It’s free on the Internet. (newspapers in general)
They always take the train. (trains in general)

Jobs and professions

When we talk about a person’s job, we use a:
She’s  a gardener.
He’s an  ambulance driver.

Places
We use the with mountain ranges and some mountains (the Alps, the Eiger), groups of islands
(the West Indies), rivers (the Danube), deserts (the Gobi Desert), seas (the Black Sea),
geographical regions or habitats (the Amazon rainforest), motorways (the M42), the names of
some countries (the People’s Republic of China).
We don’t usually use articles with individual mountains or lakes when the name
includes Mount or Lake: Mount Fuji, Lake Victoria. We don’t use articles with continents
(Asia), countries (Romania), towns (Edinburgh), and streets (Lombard Street).

The with groups within society

When we talk about particular groups or people within society, we use the + adjective:
I think  the rich  should pay more tax and that the poor shouldn’t pay any.
The young  need to be encouraged and supported in society.

The with dates
When we say a specific date, we use the, but when we write it, we don’t use the:
 Speaking: ‘I’ll see you on the twenty fourth of May.’
Writing: I’ll see you on 24th May.
When we talk about months, we don’t use the:
My birthday is in September.
May  is my favourite month of all.
When we talk about seasons in general, we can use either in or in the. In without the is often
used in more formal or literary contexts:
These birds arrive in Britain in summer, and leave as the winter begins.
In the summer, we usually go to the mountains.
We rarely get snow in the winter.
When we talk about a specific season, we use the:
The winter of 1947 was one of the coldest in Britain.
We’ll definitely visit you in the summer. (meaning next summer)
See also:
 Nouns

The with Internet, radio and newspaper but mostly not with TV

I looked it up on the Internet.
Not: on internet
She was on  the radio  once.
Not: on radio
Did you see that story about parrots in  the  newspaper?
Not: in newspaper
There’s usually nothing on TV. (TV means television)
There’s usually nothing on  the television. (less common)

The with go to, be at, be in hospital, school, prison

When we talk about the activity that happens in a building rather than about the building
itself, we don’t use the.
Compare

without the with the

She didn’t want to be in hospital but she was She didn’t want to be  in the
 without the with the

too ill to go home. (in hospital means being hospital … (in the hospital means being

there as a patient) in the building)

When I was at school, we didn’t have

When I was  at the school … (at the
computers. (at school means being there as a
school means being in the building)
student)

We don’t use the with bed when we go there to sleep:

I always go to bed at eleven o’clock.
Not: I always go to the bed …
We don’t use the before work when we talk about the place where we do our job:
They go to work  at 8 am every morning.
Not: They go to the work …
See also:
 At, on and in (time)

Possessive expressions
We don’t use the to refer to an individual’s behaviour or to parts of an individual’s body:
He spends most of his  free time playing computer games.
Not: He spends most of the free time …
I must wash my hands.
Not: I must wash the hands.

This, that and articles
We can use this instead of a/an or the, and these instead of zero article or some when we tell
stories and jokes to create a sense of the present:
[beginning of a joke]
There was this chicken who wanted to cross the road … (compare There was a chicken who
wanted to cross the road …)
These tourists came into the restaurant once and they ordered fifteen Irish
coffees. (compare Some tourists came into the restaurant once and they ordered …)
Spoken English:
 In informal speaking, we can use that as an alternative to the in stories when we refer to
something familiar or known to the listener. That highlights the fact that the thing being
referred to is known to the speaker and listener:
A:
Where did you buy your skirt? I really like it.
B:
I got it at that new shop next to Green’s Hotel. (compare I got it at the new shop next to
Green’s Hotel.)

A/an and the: typical errors

 We don’t use the with plural nouns when we are referring to things in general:
We have to protect wild animals. (referring to wild animals in general)
Not: the wild animals.
 We don’t use the when we refer in general to something abstract or uncountable:
I love Japanese food. (all Japanese food/Japanese food in general)
Not: I love the Japanese food.
 We don’t use the when the noun is not known to the listener or reader:
Last Sunday, we saw  a film called ‘Nightmare’. (The speaker doesn’t think that the listener
knows of this film.)
Not: … we saw the film called ‘Nightmare’.
 We don’t use the instead of a possessive pronoun:
The police asked us to put our hands up.
Not: The police asked us to put the hands up.
 We don’t use an article with go to bed:
I  go to bed at eleven most nights.
Not: I go to the bed at eleven most nights.
Using Articles
What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles
modify nouns.
English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular
nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We
call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.
the = definite article
a/an = indefinite article
For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's
read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to
a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular
movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most
popular. Therefore, we use the.
"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For
example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about
a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many movies, and I want
to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.
Let's look at each kind of article a little more closely.
Indefinite Articles: a and an
"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a
group. For example:

 "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We

don't know which dog because we haven't found the dog yet.
 "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a
specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available.
 "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a
single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several
elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.

Remember, using a or an depends on the

sound that begins the next word. So...
 a + singular noun beginning with a
consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
 an + singular noun beginning with a
vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
  a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-
zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is
used); a university; a unicycle
 an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
 a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse

o In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," you can

use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.

A historical event is worth recording.

Remember that these rules also apply when you use acronyms:
Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the
University. Therefore, an ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English
106 instructors.
Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms or initialisms start with
consonant letters but have vowel sounds:
An MSDS (material safety data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan
(Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the
worst.
If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the
initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article:

 a broken egg
 an unusual problem
 a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y'
sound)

Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate
membership in a group:

 I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.)

 Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.)
 Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people
known as Buddhists.)

Definite Article: the
The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is
specific or particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular
member of a group. For example:
"The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that
bit me.
"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about
a particular policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a
particular policeman because it is the one who saved the cat.
"I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably
there is only one elephant at the zoo.
Count and Noncount Nouns
The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

 "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail
over water" (any water).
 "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk
you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

 "I need a bottle of water."

 "I need a new glass of milk."

Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a
bottle of water.
Geographical use of the
There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.
Do not use the before:

 names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia;

however, the Netherlands, the Dominican
Republic, the Philippines, the United States
 names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
 names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
 names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of
lakes like the Great Lakes
 names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of
mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names
like the Matterhorn
 names of continents (Asia, Europe)
 names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains
like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

Do use the before:

 names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

 points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
 geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
 deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian
Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

Omission of Articles
Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

 Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish,

Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation:
"The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")
 Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball
 Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer
science