Articles: A, An, The

Let's Start with a Story!

Listen to this short story about Sara and her cat. Pay attention to the small words a, an, and the.

👧 Sara has a cat. The cat is small. One day, she finds an orange on the table. She gives it to the cat. But the cat wants an apple!

Did you notice how "a," "an," and "the" were used? They help us understand if we're talking about something new or something specific.

'A' and 'An': For General Things

We use A or An when we talk about one thing that is not specific or when we mention something for the first time**.

Use A before words that start with a consonant sound (like b, c, d, f, g...).
Use An before words that start with a vowel sound (like a, e, i, o, u...).

🟢 I see a cat. (Cat starts with 'c' sound)

🟢 He has a book. (Book starts with 'b' sound)

🟢 She eats an apple. (Apple starts with 'a' sound)

🟢 I have an idea! (Idea starts with 'i' sound)

'The': For Specific Things

We use The when we talk about something specific or something that is already known or has been mentioned before.

🟢 The sun is hot. (There is only one sun)

🟢 The dog is sleeping on the bed. (We know which dog and which bed)

🟢 Sara has a cat. The cat is small. (We mentioned "a cat" first, now "the cat" is specific)

🎯 Quick Test

Fill in the blank with 'a', 'an', or 'the'.

1. I see _____ elephant.

2. He found _____ pencil.

3. _____ moon is bright.

4. She has _____ orange dress.