The three articles are tiny, but they make English sound natural. Mr. Gee uses stories from buying tea on a busy street.
“When my students drop 'a', 'an', and 'the' from their sentences, the meaning still comes through, but the English sounds broken. These three small words make your English smooth.”
Last year I was walking down a busy street in London. I wanted tea. I saw a small shop on the corner. I went inside. The shop had a long table, an old chair, and a kind owner. The owner asked, 'What would you like?'
I said, 'A cup of tea, please. With a little milk.' He smiled and made the tea. The tea was perfect. The cup was warm in my hands. The owner became my friend.
Notice the small words: A cup. The tea. An old chair. A kind owner. These tiny words tell the listener whether I am talking about ANY cup of tea or THE specific cup he made for me. They feel small. They are not.
Use 'a' or 'an' when you talk about one thing for the first time, or when it does not matter WHICH one.
I want a cup of tea. (any cup)
She is a teacher. (one of many teachers)
He has a brother. (one brother)
Use 'an' instead of 'a' when the next word starts with a VOWEL sound (a, e, i, o, u).
An apple. An egg. An old chair. An hour. (h is silent, so it sounds like 'our')
A house. A car. A teacher. (consonant sounds at the start)
Use 'the' when both you and the listener know exactly WHICH thing you mean.
The sun is hot today. (only one sun)
The cup is warm. (the specific cup I am holding)
Close the door. (you both know which door)
The first time you mention something, use 'a'. After that, use 'the'.
I saw a dog. The dog was small. The dog had a red collar.
Sometimes we use no article at all. The main times: with plural general statements, and with uncountable things in general.
Dogs are friendly. (dogs in general, not specific dogs)
Water is important. (water in general)
Children love sweets. (children in general)
But if you mean SPECIFIC dogs or SPECIFIC water, use 'the'.
The dogs in my street bark all night. (specific dogs)
Click “Translate” below if you need any word in your own language.
Used before a consonant sound for any one thing.
a teacher, a book, a car
Used before a vowel sound for any one thing.
an apple, an egg, an old man
Used for a specific thing both speakers know.
the sun, the door, the cup on the table
Many languages do not have articles (Russian, Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese, and others). If yours does not, this lesson is harder. Read it 3 times. Use the translate button. Then practise out loud. You will get it.
Try these on paper or out loud. Mr. Gee's rule: practice today, do not save it for tomorrow.
Use 'a' or 'an' for any one thing (an apple, a teacher). Use 'the' for the specific thing both speakers know (the sun, the cup). Use no article for general plurals (dogs are loyal).
Read aloud every day. Even if it sounds funny. Your tongue needs practice.
Free, instant translation. Powered by Google Translate. Opens in a new tab.