Indefinite Articles
When you hear the word “article”, you may consider it like a news article. An article in English grammar is something completely different. In grammar, articles are words that we use before nouns or noun equivalents. They work as adjectives, or they are a type of adjectives.
Definition of Indefinite Article
Indefinite articles (a, an) are words that we use before
singular countable nouns referring to unspecified nouns.
- There was a dog.
In this example, the word “a” is an indefinite article. It has
been used before the noun “dog” which is non-specific or something generic. We
are talking about a general dog but not a specific dog.
- I met a man in New York.
Here, the word “a” is an indefinite article that refers to something unspecific or mentioned for the first time in our discussion.
Examples of Indefinite Articles
- Yesterday, we went to the zoo where we saw an elephant.
- He used to sit in a prominent place.
- When a person eats an apple a day, he will not become sick.
- We use an article before a singular countable noun.
- It is an example that can be given in indefinite articles.
Using a/an
We use these two indefinite articles before singular
countable nouns. When we go beyond this point, we have to decide whether to use "a" or "an".
The indefinite article “a” is used before a word that begins
with a consonant sound. Note that some words start with vowel letters, but they
make consonant sounds. Consequently, we have to look at the pronunciation of a
word before using an indefinite article.
- A book
- A pen
- A car
- A unit
- A university
We use the indefinite article “an” before a word that begins
with a vowel sound. The main point to consider here is the vowel sound.
- An umbrella
- An honor
- An elephant
- An axe
- An apple
A/an before Acronyms or Abbreviations
When we have an acronym or abbreviation, we follow the same rules as discussed above.
Acronyms:
- A NATO member
- An ACTRA award
Abbreviations:
- A US senator
- A PhD candidate
- An HIV patient
- An MBA program
Frequently Asked Questions
How many articles do we have?
There
are three articles (the, a, an) in English grammar. “A” and “An” are indefinite
articles that we use before singular countable nouns.
Do you get confused at the time of using a/an?
Don’t get confused. Just look at the noun. If the noun
starts with a vowel sound, use "an" otherwise "a". Remember that some people
mistakenly use “a” before a noun that starts with a consonant letter and “an”
before a noun that starts with a vowel letter. You need to focus on the sound
of the first letter whether it is a vowel sound or not.
What if an adjective comes between an indefinite article and a noun?
When you use an adjective before a noun, don’t use it
without an article. You may get confused to use a/an when there is an adjective
before the noun. In this case, look at the word that comes directly after the
indefinite article. If the word that follows the indefinite article starts with
a vowel sound, use “an”. If the word that follows the indefinite article starts
with a consonant sound, use “a”.
- A beautiful girl
- An enthusiastic student
