All About Articles

The word the is used in our everyday language any time we are talking about a specific task, place, or thing we have to do:

    I need to go to the store (the speaker has a specific store in mind).
    I want to watch the football game (the speaker knows exactly which game he or she wants to watch).
   We should check out the concert this weekend (the speaker has a specific concert in mind).

Indefinite Articles (A/An)
On the other hand, when you refer to something general, you use “a or an.” “A” is used for words that start with a consonant. “An” is used for words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u):

Let’s read a book! (Could be any book)
Let’s read an encyclopedia! (Could be any encyclopedia)

I need to pick up a gallon of milk. (It doesn’t have to be a certain gallon of milk, any old gallon of milk will do!)
I need to go on a diet. (I haven’t chosen a specific diet yet. I’m just talking about dieting in a general sense.)
I need to find an interesting topic for my research paper. (I don’t know exactly what the topic will be yet.)

Tricks and Exceptions
As with almost every rule in English there are some exceptions to keep in mind. When you are talking about a proper noun or an item that is so specific that no distinction is needed at all, you usually won't use any article:

        Let's read "Great Expectations"!
      Let's read about human society!

Notice that there is no article at all necessary even though this is a specific book. It's also a proper noun so we don't need a "the" here. "Society" is an example of a word, term, or concept that is broad enough and universally understood enough that it can be mentioned without needing an article. Unless you are talking about a society that needs to be distinguished from others like "the society of the Ancient Greeks," then you can usually let that term stand on its own.

Of course there are some proper nouns, and super specific terms that already have articles built into them:

    The Superbowl
    The Queen of England
    The Great Wall of China
    The Incredible Hulk
    The United States of America

Articles can be confusing. So don’t be afraid to ask a grammar savvy friend, teacher, or your friendly EWC advisor if you are uncertain if an article is needed in a specific situation.

As you read your coursework, and even everyday items from the news, think about when, where, and how these three little words get used. In the end, reading and writing in English is the best way to get familiar
with its rules and exceptions.

Best of luck!

The Articles of English: A Guide and An Evaluation
An article is a specific kind of adjective. As you remember, adjectives are words that modify and describe nouns: I’m going to rest my head on the soft red pillow. You know that the words soft and red are adjectives describing the noun pillow.
Like those adjectives, articles also come before a noun, but the article's job is to tell if the noun is definite or indefinite. Definite noun article: The Indefinite noun article: A/An Definite Article When talking about something specific, use the: Let’s buy the book! The speaker is not talking about just any book. There is a specific book in mind. So the noun book is modified with the.
The word the is used in our everyday language any time we are talking about a specific task, place, or thing we have to do: I need to go to the store (the speaker has a specific store in mind). I want to watch the football game (the speaker knows exactly which game he or she wants to watch). We should check out the concert this weekend (the speaker has a specific concert in mind). Indefinite Articles (A/An) On the other hand, when you refer to something general, you use “a or an.” “A” is used for words that start with a consonant. “An” is used for words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): Let’s read a book! (Could be any book) Let’s read an encyclopedia! (Could be any encyclopedia) In everyday language, we use the indefinite articles all the time to talk about general things: I need to pick up a gallon of milk. (It doesn’t have to be a certain gallon of milk, any old gallon of milk will do!) I need to go on a diet. (I haven’t chosen a specific diet yet. I’m just talking about dieting in a general sense.) I need to find an interesting topic for my research paper. (I don’t know exactly what the topic will be yet.) Tricks and Exceptions As with almost every rule in English there are some exceptions to keep in mind. When you are talking about a proper noun or an item that is so specific that no distinction is needed at all, you usually won't use any article: Let's read "Great Expectations"! Let's read about human society! Notice that there is no article at all necessary even though this is a specific book. It's also a proper noun so we don't need a "the" here. "Society" is an example of a word, term, or concept that is broad enough and universally understood enough that it can be mentioned without needing an article. Unless you are talking about a society that needs to be distinguished from others like "the society of the Ancient Greeks," then you can usually let that term stand on its own. Of course there are some proper nouns, and super specific terms that already have articles built into them: The Superbowl The Queen of England The Great Wall of China The Incredible Hulk The United States of America Articles can be confusing. So don’t be afraid to ask a grammar savvy friend, teacher, or your friendly EWC advisor if you are uncertain if an article is needed in a specific situation. As you read your coursework, and even everyday items from the news, think about when, where, and how these three little words get used. In the end, reading and writing in English is the best way to get familiar with its rules and exceptions. Best of luck!