INDEFINITE ARTICLE A / AN
A / AN - has its old original meaning of ONE, so it is used only with countable nouns in the singular.
Use 'a' with nouns starting with a consonant, 'an' with nouns starting with a vowel.
Examples: a boy an apple a car an orange a house an opera a yacht
NOTE:
A before an h when it is not pronounced - an hour, an honour.
A before u and eu when they sound like 'you' [j]:
a uniform a European a university a unit But: an umbrella
The indefinite article is used:
Rules Examples Notes
1. to refer to something for the Would you like a drink? If we add some extra
first time: I've finally got a good job. information and we know
the subject, the definite
article is used:
He bought a book yesterday. The book was written by
Darya Donzova and it is a
bestseller now.
2. to refer to a particular member It happened in a small town in
of a group or class: Siberia.
3. with names of jobs, John is a doctor. In the plural no article is
professions or characteristics: Mary is training to be an used in this case:
engineer.
He wants to be a dancer. They are engineers /
Your brother is a nice man. clever men
He is a superstar!
4. with nationalities and John is an Englishman.
religions: Kate is a Catholic / Muslim.
5. when the noun is used in Even a child can understand
general sense and has the it.
meaning of every
6. a/an preserves its original He had hardly spoken a word We use ONE with day,
meaning of one since we left the house. morning, evening when
with nouns denoting time, A week or two passed. telling a story:
measure, weight, frequency: I’ll be back in a minute.
price/weight: 80 p a kilo It is 80 p a kilo. One day when I was
distance/fuel: 30 miles a gallon I'd like an orange and two staying at the Hilton……
distance/speed: 40 km an hour lemons please.
frequency/time: twice a day Once upon a time …
I’d like a coffee, please.
We use a/an or one with:
a) whole numbers and fractions: a/one He has won a million. NOTE: that we use one to
hundred, thousand, million; a/one You need a dozen eggs for add emphasis or to
half, quarter; a/one dozen; this cake. contrast with other
numbers:
I don't know one person
who likes eating elephant
meat.
We've got six computers
but only one printer.
b) money: a/one pound/dollar;
c) weights, measures: a/one kilo/foot.
7. when we talk about people or With plural no article is
things in general: A cat is a domestic animal. used:
Cats are domestic animals.
8. with singular nouns, after the What a clever man! NOTE: a/an is not used
words what, such, rather, What a shame! with uncountable nouns
quite: He is such an interesting and plurals:
person!
She is quite a young girl. What nice weather we are
It was rather a difficult job. having today!
What beautiful pictures!
9. we use a/an in some It is a book. NOTE: If there is/there
grammatical structures: This is a picture. are are followed by an
There is a… This is a… She has a cat. uncountable noun or a
That is a… It is a… There is a book on the table. plural, some is used
She has a… instead of a/an:
There are some books on
the table.
10. we always use a/an with I can’t work today because of
reference to illness: a terrible headache.
a cold, a headache, If you don’t want to catch (a)
a sore throat. cold, put on a warm sweater.
we can use or omit a/an with
these: have (a/an)
backache/earache/stomachache/toothache
.
11. we use a/an in detached apposition My friend, a history teacher, NOTE:
knows a lot about this war. Pushkin, the great Russian
poet, wrote …
We use the in this case
with the unique nouns.
12. with names of days: I was born on a Thursday.
THE USE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE WITH NOUNS IN SET EXPRESSIONS
1. to be in a hurry ( in a rush)
2. to have a mind to do something
3. to fly into a fury (rage)
4. to take a fancy to sb or sth
5. in a low (loud) voice
6. a great big pile of
7. a great deal of
8. it's a pity
9. it's a shame
10. it's a pleasure
11. as a result
12. to have a good time
13. to be at a loss
14. to realize at a glance
15. to tell a lie
16. a lot of (with countable and uncountable nouns)
17. a number of
18. a few (with countable nouns)
19. a little (with uncountable nouns)
20. at a speed of
21. for a short time
22. to go for a walk / a swim / a ride / a splash
23. to take a seat / to book a table, a room
24. after a while
25. in a year/ a week/ a month