What is an Article in Grammar? – Types, Usage, and Examples

What is an Article?

An article is a short word placed before a noun that signals whether the noun is specific or unspecific.

In English grammar, an article is a word used with a noun to indicate whether a particular thing is being referred to in a sentence.

Example

• Article The dog is barking outside.
• A cat is sleeping on the couch.
• An elephant is a large animal.

Types

In English grammar, there are two types of articles:

1. Definite Articles
2. Indefinite Articles.

1. Definite Article – “The”

The definite article “the” is used to refer to a specific noun that is already known or has been previously mentioned in a conversation or text.

The definite article “the” signals that the noun it precedes is specific and identifiable.

Example

1. The cat sat on the mat.
2. I saw the car crash.
3. We went to the park.
4. I love the beach.
5. They are going to the mall.
6. The pizza was delicious.
7. Give me the book.
8. The dog barked loudly.
9. Turn off the light.
10. The sun set behind the mountains.

2. Indefinite Articles – “A” and “An”

An indefinite article is used to refer to any one of a group of nouns that is not specified or already known.

There are two indefinite articles: “a” and “an”.

Using An

“An” is the other indefinite article in English, alongside “a”. Similar to “a”, it introduces unspecific singular countable nouns, but with a specific sound-based rule.

Use “an” before singular countable nouns that begin with vowel sounds. 

Examples

1. He bought an apple.
2. I saw an elephant at the zoo.
3. She needs an umbrella because it’s raining.
4. This is an interesting book.
5. He woke up an hour early.
6. I ate an apple for a snack.
7. She is an engineer at the tech company.
8.  He is an artist and loves to paint.
9. My sister is an athlete and plays soccer.
10. This is an amazing view of the city.
11. I saw an owl while walking in the woods.

Using “A”

“A” is an indefinite article in English and it is used to indicate that a noun is one of a group or is not specific.

Examples

1. I ate a sandwich for lunch.
2. She bought a new bike yesterday.
3. He found a penny on the sidewalk.
4. The teacher gave the student a book to read. 
5. My friend is looking for a job.
6. I need to buy a new pair of shoes.
7. She wore a hat to protect her from the sun.
8. The child drew a picture of a dinosaur.
9. He brought a gift to the party.
10. I saw a shooting star in the sky.