Articles: The – A / An

Articles in English can be divided into two: Definite (The) and Indefinite (a-an)

Definite Article “The”

It is used to refer to a specific noun* in singular, or a specific group of nouns. This article must be
used only when being specific about the noun or nouns we are talking about.

For example:

The car The students

The laptop The chairs

The classroom The children

[*] Noun: Whichever object is able to perform an action (people, animals, things,
places, ideas, etc.)

Indefinite Articles “A – An”

These articles are used only with singular nouns, they have the same meaning, but
the use will depend on the first sound of the following word. Those sounds can be
in two ways:

Vowel Sounds: They are produced using only the voice, and not the organs of the
mouth (teeth, tongue, lips, etc.) They are usually represented by a vowel letter.

Examples:

Airplane Inquisitor
Orange Umbrella
Enemy Honest* person

When the word starts with a vowel sound, the article “An‘’ must be used.

An airplane An inquisitor
An orange An umbrella
An enemy An honest person
 Consonant sounds: These sounds are produced using not only the voice but also
the organs of the mouth (teeth, tongue, lips, etc.) They are usually represented by a
consonant letter.

Examples:

Battle Robber

Fox Thorn

Universe* Hospital

When the word starts with a consonant sound, the article “A‘’ must be used.

A Battle A Robber

A Fox A Thorn

A Universe* A Hospital*

[*] Do not pay attention only to the letter, but to the sound with which it is produced. Sometimes a
letter “u” will have a vowel sound, and other times it will have a consonant sound. Same case with
letter “h”, which sometimes will be mute, and other times it will produce a consonant sound.

Exercises:

Write the correct article for the following words.

____ wolf ____ jaw ____ humble woman

____ park ____ crow ____ Christian
____ university ____ obscure person ____ faithful priest
____ hotel ____ gazelle ____ joker
____ princess ____ anti-hero ____ entertainer
 Plural Nouns

When writing their plural form, nouns are divided into two groups: Regular nouns, and irregular
nouns.

Regular nouns

They obey the following rules when they are going to be turned into plurals:

The syllable “-es”

Nouns
will be added Nouns ending on
Normally, only an When the noun ends in ending in
when the noun “f” or “fe”, replace
“s” is added: “consonant + y” add “-ies” “vowel + y”
ends with: ss, sh, with “-ves”
only add “s”
ch, z, x, o. :

Glass  Glasses
Table  Tables Brush  Brushes Party  Parties Wolf  Wolves
Jay  Jays
Chair  Chairs Patch  Patches Baby  Babies Leaf  Leaves
Toy  Toys
Marker  Markers Quiz  Quizzes Strawberry  Strawberries Knife  Knives
Bay  Bays
Hawk  Hawks Fox  Foxes Puppy  Puppies Wife  Wives
Mango  Mangoes

Irregular nouns

These nouns do not follow the previous rules when they change into plural. Irregular nouns may
change completely, lightly, or remain the same form in singular and in plural.

Complete change Light change Remain the same

Tooth  Teeth
Child  Children Sheep  Sheep
Foot  Feet
Mouse  Mice Fish  Fish
Man  Men
Person  People Deer  Deer
Woman  Women

[*] Note: Usually, nouns which last part is “us”, are changed by replacing that syllable with the letter
“I”. For example:

Octopus  Octopi
Exercises

 Change the following nouns from singular to plural. For example:

Nurse  Nurses

Keyboard _____________________ Tooth _____________________

Child _____________________ Knife _____________________
Church _____________________ Fish _____________________
Cranberry _____________________ Pea _____________________
Machine _____________________ Key _____________________
Box _____________________ Guy _____________________

 Change the following nouns from plural to singular, and write the proper article. For example:

The Children  A child

The kids _____________________ The jokes _____________________

The moons _____________________ The parties _____________________
The sheep _____________________ The flashes _____________________
The gods _____________________ The monsters _____________________
The feet _____________________ The bays _____________________
The wolves _____________________ The cookies _____________________

 Use “A” or “An” for singular nouns (depending on the first sound), and the article “The” for
plural nouns.

____ lid ____ family ____ philosophers

____ scissors ____ owl ____ King
____ men ____ purple shirt ____ horse
____ screen ____ spider ____ kitties
____ fingers ____ issues ____ TV show