Indefinite articles (a/an)

INDEFINITE ARTICLE: A / AN

Introduction

Indefinite articles refer to non-specific nouns. You might say, “I need a pen,” or “I want an orange.” In both cases, you aren’t referring to a specific pen or orange. The indefinite articles communicate the fact that you’d accept any pen or orange.

 

We use a before a consonant sound: (usually start with a letter that are not vowels),
and an before a vowel sound: (usually start with a,e,i,o,u)

Examples

  • A boy
  • An apple
  • A car
  • An orange
  • A house
  • An opera
  • An hour (starts with /au/)
  • a university (starts with /j/)

NOTE:
An before an h mute - an hour, an honour.
A before u and eu when they sound like 'you': a european, a university, a unit
Note that the choice of a or an depends on sound, not spelling.

The indefinite article is used:

A common noun in the singular number always requires an article before it.

 

1. To refer to something for the first time:
  • An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
  • Would you like a drink?
  • I've finally got a good job

2. To refer to a particular member of a group or class
+ with names of jobs:

  • John is a doctor.
  • Mary is training to be an engineer.
  • He wants to be a dancer.

+ with nationalities and religions:

  • John is an Englishman.
  • Kate is a Catholic.

+ with musical instruments:

  • Sherlock Holmes was playing a violin when the visitor arrived.
  • (BUT to describe the activity we say "He plays the violin.")

+ with names of days:

  • I was born on a Thursday

+ to refer to a kind of, or example of something:

  • the mouse had a tiny nose
  • the elephant had a long trunk
  • it was a very strange car

+ with singular nouns, after the words 'what' and 'such':

  • What a shame!
  • She's such a beautiful girl.

+ meaning 'one', referring to a single object or person:

  • I'd like an orange and two lemons please.
  • The burglar took a diamond necklace and a valuable painting.

Notice also that we usually say a hundred, a thousand, a million.

 

NOTE: that we use 'one' to add emphasis or to contrast with other numbers:

  • I don't know one person who likes eating elephant meat.
  • We've got six computers but only one printer.