Grammar Activity: A, An, & The

"A", "An", and "The" are called articles, and they are difficult to use. Let's look at an example paragraph.

Lyon is the third largest city in France. It is near the border between France and Switzerland. There are two parts of Lyon: New Lyon and Old Lyon. Old Lyon is my favourite because of the old, 15th century buildings are beautiful. It is built around Lyon Mountain, so there are many stairways that connect the streets. The cafes in Lyon are famous for their strong coffee, and delicious. On my last day in Lyon, I had an espresso, and a strawberry tart. 

Click on "read more" for more information.


 


The is for specific, special, unique things. For example, "the border between France and Switzerland" or "The cafes in Lyon.." are unique.

 We can also use "the" with some countries like The United Kingdom; rivers like the Nile. People's titles can also have "the", like the President of The United States of America, or The Pope. Again, these are unique and special. 

Remember: many nouns aren't used with "the". Names, street names, many countries (France, China, etc). 

A and An are for general things. For example, "I had an espresso and a strawberry tart...". 

An is used with words that start with a, e, i, o, u,  (vowels) or words with vowel sounds. For example:

vowels: an elephant, an idea

vowel sounds: an hour (the h is silent here)

Be careful: some words may start with a vowel, but, we use "a" for them. The most common: a university.

The sentence doesn't give any special information about the writier's espresso, or strawberry tart. We can only use "the" if the sentence gives unique information. For example:

"I had the espresso of Cafe Etoile, and the strawberry tart made with dried strawberries."

To practice, try this short exercise. Remember: some sentences may not need a, an, or the.


1/ A: I'd like_necktie, please.
    B: Which necktie?
    A: Oh, sorry. ___necktie with___purple and white stripes.

2/ In Canada, __average woman is about 171cm tall. But, I once met__woman who was 181cm. She was from___South Africa.


3/ A: May I take your order?
    B: Yes, I'd like__cup of coffee to start. And, can you tell me what's in__special     sauce for ___Mexican chicken burger.

    A: ___special sauce is ___mix of__cayenne peppers, ___lime juice, and ___ chef's   secret spice.


4/___Prime Minister of Canada is Justin Trudeau. Mr Trudeau is from__Montreal, ____Canadian city in ___Saint Lawrence River. 


The comments section can be used to write your answers. As always, feel free to ask questions, and I will answer them as soon as possible.

(edited to add more information about "an") October 26th, 2015