2. Indefinite Article: a, an

Indefinite article 'a'

The indefinite articles a and an are used before a singular countable noun which is unspecified , that is a noun that does not refer to a specific person, animal or thing and has not been mentioned before .

The indefinite articles are not used before a plural noun or an uncountable noun .

  • A is used before a word that begins with a consonant.
  • An is used before a word that begins with a vowel, or a word that begins with a consonant but has vowel sound (e.g. hour, honour, etc)

When 'a' is used before a noun, it does not refer to that one specific noun ; it uses this noun as representing all the others .

Examples:

  1. Example 1 : A house in that new housing estate has at least three bedrooms.

    (The article a does not point out a specific house but all houses in that housing estate.)

  1. Examples 2 : I want to buy a table.

    ( The use of a here indicates no special preference for a type of table or a specific table in mind to buy. )

We use a :

Examples:

when we mention something for the first time:

  • I saw a fairy .
  • Last night, I heard a scream.

to mean one single person or thing :

  • A stranger approached me for some money.
  • She has a big mole on her left cheek.

and one interchangeably:

  • I lost a hundred / one hundred dollars in the game.
  • He keeps a dozen / one dozen green snakes as pets.

before a word which begins with a consonant:

  • There is a policeman asking for you.
  • It’s a video of a mongoose fighting a snake .

before a word with a long sound of u:

  • a university , a uniform , a useful book, a European , a unique design.
  • It would be a unique opportunity to travel in space.

before the word one because one sounds as if it begins with a W ( wun ):

  • a one-way street, a one-eyed monster, a one-year course, a one-week holiday.
  • I have a one-way ticket to travel from one place to another in the city.

The indefinite article a also means one . We can use a or one as follows:

Examples:

We use a :

to express a degree, number or amount of something :

  • We’re getting a bit bored with nothing to do.
  • A little training is all that is required to do the work.

to show that someone or something belongs to a class of people or things:

  • She is a doctor . (A profession)

  • He is a Belarusian . (A native or national)

with a partitive before an uncountable noun :

  • There was a layer of fine dust on the bookshelf.
  • They usually have a pint of beer at lunchtime.

with illnesses or conditions :

  • a backache , a cold , a cough , a fever , a headache , a sore throat , a stomach ache , a toothache , etc.

to express a degree, number or amount of something :

  • She caught a cold while camping.
  • He developed a headache from staying up late for successive nights.

before abbreviations:

  • A BA (Bachelor of Arts), a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Sometimes, it is better to use a instead of one .

Examples:

  • She wiped up the vomit with a mop .
  • Better than : She wiped up the vomit with one mop .
  • He had a bath before he went to bed.
  • Better than : He had one bath before he went to bed.

We can use a in front of a proper noun when referring to someone, or when the proper noun is used as an adjective.

Examples:

  • A Mr Brown called to ask when you are going to give back the borrowed money.
  • There was a Mr Carter who went from house to house soliciting donations for a charity.
  • I still remember it was on a December morning when you drove through the fog into a tree.
  • We agreed to meet again on a Saturday afternoon .

Indefinite article a is also used before a word that begins with a vowel but with a consonant sound ( a eulogy, a European country , a unanimous verdict , a uniform , a union , a unique opportunity , a universal truth , a university student , a used car , a useful tool, a useless attempt ).

Examples:

  • This is a U .
  • ‘Pass away’ is a euphemism for ‘die’.
  • She no longer sports a unisex haircut .
  • I couldn’t make a U-turn as I was driving on a motorway.
  • A one-minute silence was observed at the site where the victims were found.

Indefinite article 'an'

The indefinite article an is used before a vowel sound ( an apple , an empty can , an inside job ) and an unspecified count noun, that is a noun that has not been mentioned before. Do not use ' an ,' before a plural noun or an uncountable noun, but only before a singular countable noun. The article , an , does not refer to a specific person or thing.,

We use an :

Examples:

before a noun which begins with a vowel:

  • They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
  • He has an oval-shaped burn scar on his arm.
  • That must be an oak tree , which is bigger than all the other trees around here.

before a singular noun (person or thing) to mean only one in quantity.

  • There is an egg in the nest.
  • She’s an only child .
  • An ostrich has only two toes on each foot.

before a noun that is representative of a group, species, etc.

  • It is an opal . (A precious stone)
  • He is an optician . (A profession)
  • She’s an Armenian . (A native or national)

before a word that begins with a consonant but with a vowel sound, especially the h consonant. Examples include an heir , an honest person , an honour , an honorable fellow , an hourly bus service .

  • In an hour’s time , the party will be in full swing.
  • Each of them received an honour for their services in the rescue mission.
  • I can't read your writing. Is this an h or what?

before abbreviations, some of which begin with a consonant.

  • I had an X-ray on my lungs.
  • I saw an UFO hovering above my kitchen.
  • The response was quick to an SOS sent by a ship.
  • You must fix an L-plate not only to the back but also to the front of your car.
  • His father has an MSc (Master of Science) in Chemistry, and his mother has an MA (Master of Arts) in English literature.
  • He always wanted to be an MP but was not elected for the past twelve years.

Words beginning with u and h:

Using a and an with words beginning with u .

A and an are used before words beginning with u : a is used if the u is a consonant sound; an is used if the u has a vowel sound.

Examples:

  • He applied to a university to study palmistry.
  • Mom has a unique talent for ghost storytelling.
  • He had an uncle who was a great disco dancer.
  • She wore a raincoat and carried an umbrella.
  • You really believe an ugly witch has magic powers?
  • The scientists discovered an unusual insect that flew without wings.

Using a and an with words beginning with h

A and an are used before words beginning with h : a is used if the h is pronounced; an is used if the h is not pronounced.

Examples:

  • We met at a hotel.
  • We argued the whole night over where to have a holiday this year.
  • After an hour, she recovered enough to speak on stage. .
  • He claimed he's an honest politician.