2. The Indefinite Articles: a, an
We use “A” and “AN” only before singular
count nouns.
A Cat is a small animal.
I like to eat an apple everyday.
Be careful with plurals
Girls love roses.
Pay attention if there’s a non-count noun
I like to drink water.
3. The Indefinite Articles: a, an
A when followed An when followed
with a consonant with a vowel sound.
sound. An orange
A baby An apple
A cake
Pay attention to words beginning with H and U
A House / an Hour.
A University / an Umbrela
4. The Definite Article: the
When you are talking about something
specific.
General: I love motorcycles. (I love all types of
motorcycles)
Specific: The television is not working. ( One
specific television isn’t working)
When you are using the superlative form
Natal is the most beautiful city in Brazil.
5. The Definite Article: the
Countries whose names make a reference to
plural.
The United States (more than one state)
The Philippines (Islands)
The United Kingdom (4 countries)
The Netherlands (The Low Countries)
Most countries don’t use an article
Italy
Brazil
Japan
6. The Definite Article: the
When talking about Geographic areas.
The Atacama Desert
The equator
The Middle East
The Nile River
The Pacific Ocean
The World
We don’t use an article when refering to Lakes
Lake Paranoa
7. No Articles
When talking about a category or group.
Rabbits are faster than Tortoises.
When refering to Abstract Nouns.
Allyou need is love.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but
imagination.
8. Things to remember
1) Indefinitive articles must be used when
talking about professions.
I’m an English teacher. My brother is an Engineer.
2) Pay attention to the SOUND of the next
syllable, when deciding to use A/AN.
An European country/ an MP3 player
Don’t forget to use an article (the/an/a) before
Singular Count Nouns
dog/ball/book/orange/airplane/desk/chair
