An ‘article’, in language, is used to point out or refer to nouns. In English, we have both definite (‘the’) and indefinite (‘a’ or ‘an’) articles. It’s important to know how both kinds are used if you want your written work to read smoothly.
The definite article in English is ‘the’ and is used when the noun being modified is specific or particular: if we refer to ‘the cat who got the cream’, for example, we are talking about one particular cat, not cats in general or any old cat that passes by.
The word ‘the’ is therefore most useful when we think that the reader knows precisely what we are referring to. In other words, when we’re referring to something definite!
As the name suggests, indefinite articles indicate that the noun to which we’re referring is non-specific. For example, if we say that someone is ‘a proofreader’, we identify them as one among a number of people who proofread.
The indefinite article can also be used when referring to something particular if we’re unsure about its identity. ‘A cat just ran past the window’, for instance, refers to a particular cat (the one that ran past the window). But it also implies that the cat could be one of many cats rather than something more specific, like ‘the cat from next door’.
The indefinite article is made slightly more complicated by the fact it has two forms: ‘a’ and ‘an’. The rule here is that ‘a’ is used when the following noun begins with a consonant sound, while ‘an’ is used when the noun being modified begins with a vowel sound:
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Note that in the examples above, the word ‘hour’ is preceded by ‘an’ despite beginning with a consonant. This is because the ‘h’ in ‘hour’ is silent, so it’s pronounced as if it began with a vowel.
As with any rule in English, there are exceptions to the guidelines above. But if you can remember the following, you’ll be well on your way to mastering these words:
The definite article (The) = Used when referring to something definite/specific
The indefinite article (A/An) = Used when referring to something indefinite/non-specific
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