Categories: Articles

Definite and Indefinite Articles: A Quick Way to Understand the Difference

There are two kinds of article in English. The first one is definite article and the latter is  indefinite article. To see the differences check the following short explanation.

Contents hide
1. Talking About Unclear Things With Indefinite Article
2. Talking About Obvious Things With Definite Article
3. The Difference Between Article a and an
4. Definite and Indefinite Article Exercises
4.1. Exercise I
4.2. Exercise II
4.3. Answer
4.4. Exercise I
4.5. Exercise II
5. Other Exercises

Talking About Unclear Things With Indefinite Article

We use indefinite article ‘a/an’ when our listener or audience does not know which thing we mean. On the contrary, we use definite article ‘the’ when it is clear which thing we mean. Let’s see the following examples :
  • Dan sat down on a chair. ( We don’t know which chair. )
  • For breakfast I had an egg. The egg was very small. ( The speaker says an egg because it is the first time he talks about it. Then, the speaker says ‘the egg’ because the listener has already known which egg the speaker means.)

Talking About Obvious Things With Definite Article

We use definite article ‘the’ when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean such as “the light/ the floor/ the ceiling/ the door/ the carpet/ the wall” in a certain room the speaker and listener are sure of. Let’s see the following examples :
  • Can you open the door, please ? ( the door of this room )
  • Where’s the toilet, please? ( the toilet in this building )
  • She rides a motorbike to the station. ( the station of that town )
We also say : the police, the postman, the airport, the fire-brigade, the army, the doctor, the dentist, the bank, the post office.

The Difference Between Article a and an

There is a quite clear difference between a and an. A is used before consonants  ( b, c, d, f, g, h, etc. ). An is used before vowels ( a, i, u, e, o).
a car
a book
a house
a university		 an egg
an aeroplane
an artist
an iron
an owl
an ipad
an hour
Note : university is pronounced /yuniversiti/. That’s why, it is treated as consonant. So, we do not say or write an university. On the contrary, hour is pronounced /aue:/. It is treated as vowel. So, we do not say or write a hour.

Definite and Indefinite Article Exercises

Exercise I

Complete the following sentences with a or an.

Exercise II

Choose a, an or the to complete the sentences!

 

Answer

Exercise I

 

 

Exercise II

 
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5 years ago

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