This lesson is about correctly using the article a/an, the, or using no article when appropriate.

Below are some of the rules applied to using a/an, the, and no article. Review the sample sentences below and find examples of article use. Which rule do they relate to?

  • for superlatives
  • to talk about playing a musical instrument
  • with mealtimes
  • to refer to something for the first time
  • with plural or uncountable nouns to talk generally about things
  • when there is only one of this thing
  • to say what job somebody does.
  • with certain proper nouns (nationalities; rivers, island groups; mountain ranges; seas and oceans; country names that represent a group e.g. United States; noun phrases with of)
  • with certain proper nouns (continents; countries; states; towns and cities; mountains; lakes; companies)
  • when the listener/ reader knows which thing we mean (it may have been mentioned before)

Examples

  • She’s not just a doctor, she’s the best doctor in the state of Minnesota.
  • The Fraser River flows to the south of Vancouver.
  • I met an interesting man at a cafe this morning.
  • Do you remember the interesting man we met at the cafe this morning?
  • She’s a doctor but she plays piano like a professional.
  • She needs to buy new shoes and socks before we meet for lunch.

Exercises

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