Use an when the next word starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) or with a mute h. Although there are a few exceptions, as a general rule a definite article is used in Spanish whenever "the" is used in English. A definite article is a function word that comes before a noun to indicate that a particular being or thing is being referred to. Exceptions. 1 Use a when the indefinite article comes before a word beginning with a consonant sound: a toy a book a house. If the word begins with a vowel sound, use ‘an’. (This means a specific pirate, i.e., the one previously discussed.) Definite Article The definite article is the word "the." Sometimes the article directly precedes an adjective that modifies the noun. When this occurs, look at the first letter of the adjective when determining whether to use "a" or "an" and then use the same rules as those discussed above to determine which article to use. Level: beginner. The problem is that the noun 'boy' (the subjects) cannot be used without an article. Learn more about definite vs. indefinite articles and when to use them. "A," "an," and "the" are all articles in the English language. a—used before singular count nouns beginning with consonants (other than a, e, i, o, u): a stamp, a desk, a TV, a cup, a book; Definite Article—the Can be used before singular and plural, count and non-count nouns 1. Use the before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific. I'm the pirate. By contrast, we can use the definite article the with ALL nouns: the dog, the eggs, the big men, the music, the food, the red wine. But Spanish also uses a definite article in many situations where English does not. The three articles — a, an, the — are a kind of adjective. It is not used for plural nouns. We use the indefinite article, a/an, with singular nouns when the listener/reader does not know exactly which one we are referring to: Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl.. We also use it to show that the person or thing is one of a group:. Generally, the articles a and the are used with nouns. It is used before a noun to define it as something specific (e.g., something previously mentioned or known, something unique, or something being identified by the speaker).. When to use The. The is called the definite article because it usually precedes a specific or previously mentioned noun; a and an are called indefinite articles because they are used to refer to something in a less specific manner (an unspecified count noun). Indefinite Article (a, an) Used before singular nouns that are unspecified: a pencil; an orange Notice that we use the indefinite article a/an ONLY with singular countable nouns: a dog, an egg, a very big man, an extremely delicious meal. When deciding which one of the indefinite articles, out of ‘a’ or ‘an’, you should use, try saying the word out loud. (Here, the indefinite article an sits before the adjective excellent.) She is a pupil at London Road School.. Police have been looking for a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Friday. Almost all English speakers say "a hospital". Use a when the next word starts with a consonant, or before words starting in u and eu when they sound like you. There is sometimes a perception that using the silent 'h' is more correct because it's more traditional, but it doesn't really matter. Both are correct, though the silent 'h' is not common anymore. Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns. We could say, for example, 'The boy', 'A boy' or 'My neighbour's boy'. 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