Use the correct article: a or an

Key Notes:-

Introduction

  • What Are Articles?
  • Articles are small words that come before a noun (person, place, or thing).
  • The two articles we use to talk about one thing are “a” and “an.”

When to Use “a”

  • Use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound.
  • Consonants are all the letters that are not vowels. The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u.
  • Examples:
    • a cat (the word “cat” starts with the consonant sound “c”)
    • a dog (the word “dog” starts with the consonant sound “d”)
    • a pencil (the word “pencil” starts with the consonant sound “p”)

When to Use “an”

  • Use “an” before words that start with a vowel sound.
  • Vowels are a, e, i, o, u.
  • Examples:
    • an apple (the word “apple” starts with the vowel sound “a”)
    • an elephant (the word “elephant” starts with the vowel sound “e”)
    • an umbrella (the word “umbrella” starts with the vowel sound “u”)

Simple Rules to Remember:

  • “a” + Consonant Sound:
  1. Use “a” before a word that starts with a consonant sound.
  2. Examples: a book, a car, a house.
  • “an” + Vowel Sound:
  1. Use “an” before a word that starts with a vowel sound.
  2. Examples: an egg, an igloo, an octopus.

Special Cases:

  • Words Starting with Silent “H”:
  • Use “an” if the “h” is silent, like in an honest man.
  • Words with “u” Sounding like “you”:
  • Use “a” if the “u” sounds like “you,” like in a unicorn.

Practice Examples:

  • Choose “a” or “an”:
  1. _ apple (an apple)
  2. _ cat (a cat)
  3. _ orange (an orange)
  4. _ book (a book)
  5. _ igloo (an igloo)
  6. _ dog (a dog)
  7. _ umbrella (an umbrella)
  8. _ elephant (an elephant)
  • Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences:
  1. I saw _ elephant at the zoo. (an)
  2. She has _ red ball. (a)
  3. Can I have _ ice cream? (an)
  4. He bought _ new toy car. (a)
  • Matching Activity:
  1. Match the correct article with the picture:
    • An orange (picture of an orange)
    • A cat (picture of a cat)
    • An egg (picture of an egg)
    • A dog (picture of a dog)

Conclusion

  • Knowing when to use “a” and “an” helps us speak and write clearly. We use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an” before words that start with a vowel sound.

Let’s practice!🖊️