1. Definite and indefinite articles


2. When do we use the definite articles?
We use the definite article the when we refer to a specific element and/or it is known by the speaker. In all cases the same article is used, regardless of gender or number.


The definite article the has a different pronunciation depending on the word it precedes:
Definite article | Use | Pronunciation | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
THE | When the word begins with a vowel | [ði] |
The apple |
When the word begins with a consonant | [ðÉ] |
The dog |
We also use the definite article the in the following cases:
Uses | Examples | Sentences |
---|---|---|
With nouns that refer to unique things, that is to say, that there is only one. | The sun, the moon, the sky... | The sun rose at 6:15 this morning. |
With things we know there's only one in a particular place or time. | The car (we only have one) the church (there's only one in town)... | Can I use the car next Saturday? |
With singular countable nouns when we refer to them in general. | The whale... | The whale is a marine mammal. |
With musical instruments. | The violin... | I used to play the violin when I was little. |
With adjectives to refer to a group of people. | The rich, the French... | The rich always get richer. |
With oceans, seas and rivers. | The Atlantic Ocean, The Nile | The Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean. |
With mountain ranges. | The Alps, The Pyrenees... | Which is the highest mountain in the Alps? |
With groups of islands and deserts. | The Bahamas, The Sahara... | I spent my holidays in the Bahamas. |
With museums, cinemas or theatres. | The British Museum, The Phoenix | Thousands of tourists visit The British Museum every year. |
With some countries. | The Czech Republic, The United States... | I have some relatives in The Czech Republic. |
With famous buildings and monuments. | The Taj Mahal, The London Eye... | The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. |
In front of a superlative. | The best, the biggest... | He is the best player at the moment. |
There are cases where the definite article the is omitted in English:
Uses | Examples | Sentences |
---|---|---|
With plural countable nouns to talk about something in general. | Computers, butterflies... | |
With uncountable nouns to talk about something in general. | Life, nature, space... | |
With continents, countries and cities. | Africa, France, London... | |
Streets, stations or airports. | Oxford Street, Penn Station... | My grandma lives in |
Lakes, mountains and islands. | Lake Victoria, Kilimanjaro, Malta... | We've booked a hotel by |
With people's names. | John, Mary... | |
Time, days and months. | 3:15, Monday, June | We met on |
3. When do we use the indefinite articles?
We use the indefinite article a or an when we want to refer to an undetermined element or one that is unknown to the speaker.


Depending on the word they precede, a or an will be used:
Indefinite articles | Use | Pronunciation | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
A | When the word begins with a consonant | [É] |
A cake |
When the H at the beginning of the word is pronounced | [É] |
A hospital | |
When the word begins with E or U with a consonant sound | [É] |
A university | |
AN | When the word begins with a vowel | [Én] |
An ice-cream |
When the H at the beginning of a word is silent | [Én] |
An hour |
We also use the indefinite article a / an in the following cases:
Uses | Examples | Sentences |
---|---|---|
Before jobs. | A nurse, an accountant... | My mum is a nurse at the hospital. |
To replace the number one. | An apple, a hundred... | Can I have an (one) apple, please? |
Before a singular countable noun that is an example of a kind of things. | A lion, a book | A baby lion is born blind. |
Expressions of price, speed... | A kilo, an hour... | The oranges cost 2 euros a kilo. |
4. Differences between a / an and the
- We will use the indeterminate article a / an when we refer to something in general, whereas we will use the determinate article the when we already know what we are referring to.
I need a jacket.In this example we use the article a because we are referring to any jacket.I need the jacket.In this example we use the article the because they both know what jacket they are talking about.
- We will use the indeterminate article a / an when we refer to something for the first time, whereas we will use the determinate article the when what we are referring to has already been mentioned.
He has adopted a dog. The dog is docile.She's wearing a short dress. The dress is made of silk.In both examples, when we first mention the thing we want to refer to (dog / dress) we use the indefinite article a, while when we mention them for the second time we use the definite article the.
Remember!
Use | Examples | |
---|---|---|
INDEFINITE ARTICLE A / AN |
Before a job. | She is an astronaut. |
To replace number one. | I drink a coffee every morning. | |
Before a singular countable noun when it's used to act as an example of a kind of things. | A book is always a good present. | |
Expressions of price, speed... | This car can run at 250 miles an hour. | |
DEFINITE ARTICLE THE |
With nouns that refer to unique things, that is to say, that there is only one. | The moon is so beautiful tonight. |
With things we know there's only one in a particular place or time. | The church is being restored. | |
With singular countable nouns when we refer to them in general. | The wheel is one of man's most important inventions. | |
With musical instruments. | When did you start playing the piano? | |
With adjectives referring to a group of people. | The Finns have a very good education system. | |
With oceans, seas and rivers. | We took a cruise on the Nile. | |
With mountain ranges. | We are flying over the Pyrenees. | |
With groups of islands and deserts. | The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia. | |
With museums, cinemas or theatres. | There's a very interesting exhibition at the Guggenheim museum. | |
With some countries. | I have some relatives in The Netherlands. | |
With famous buildings and monuments. | There's always a long queue to go up the Eiffel Tower. | |
Before a superlative. | I booked the cheapest hotel. | |
OMISSION OF THE | With plural countable nouns to talk about something in general. | I hate spiders. |
With uncountable nouns to talk about something in general. | Music connects people. | |
With continents, countries and cities. | Have you ever been to Budapest? | |
Streets, stations or airports. | I live on Carnaby Street. | |
Lakes, mountains and islands. | We're planning to climb Kilimanjaro. | |
With people's names. | Have you seen Peter lately? | |
Time, days and months. | I usually go to bed at 23:00. |