English Grammar Worksheets, Articles A-An #9

The articles ‘A’ and ‘an’ are known as articles that come before nouns and serve to indicate that this noun is one of all other similar objects. The use of ‘a’ and ‘an’ is preferred in accordance with some rules.

• ∗ If the noun begins with a consonant letter; (a) is placed in front of the noun.
• ∗ If the noun starts with a vowel; (an) is placed in front of the noun.
• ∗ Pronunciation is considered when determining the right article.
• ∗ (a) and (an) are never used before an adjective or adverb that exists alone; they must be completed with a noun.
• ∗ Nouns must be singular as (a) and (an) mean ‘any’ in the sentence.
• ∗ Nouns must be countable to use with (a) and (an).

Using “a” and “an” can be tricky because it depends on sound, not just the first letter of a word. We use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound (a cat, a house, a unicorn), while “an” comes before words with a vowel sound (an apple, an elephant, an hour). Some irregularities happen when silent letters change pronunciation, like “an honor” (silent “h”) or “a university” (because “u” sounds like “you”). The key is to listen to the sound, not just look at the letter!