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What Articles are and how to use them in English
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"A" and "An" are called indefinite articles and are used before singular nouns for the first time. Example: An apple is on the table. "The" is called the definite article and is used to refer to specific things that have already been mentioned or are common knowledge. Example: I saw the apple you put on the table. |
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We use "a" or "an" before a word for something for the very first time, like we've never seen it before. We use "a" before words that start with consonant sounds (B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z), and "an" before words that start with vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U).
Example: I found an apple on the table. (It's the first time we are hearing about this apple)
We use "the" to talk about something specific that we already know about or can see.
Example: I want to eat the apple you put on the table. (We already know about this apple because you just mentioned it)