All Articles for Kids & Teens

1. Overview: Articles are words that help us understand if we are talking about something specific or something general. There are three types of articles: "a," "an," and "the." Sometimes, we don’t use an article at all, and this is called the zero article. 2. Cases of Usage: Case 1: Using "a" before a singular noun that starts with a consonant sound. Example: I saw a dog in the park. Case 2: Using "an" before a singular noun that starts with a vowel sound. Example: She wants to eat an apple. Case 3: Using "the" before a specific noun that is known to the listener. Example: The cat is sleeping on the bed. Case 4: Using the zero article with plural nouns or uncountable nouns when talking about things in general. Example: Dogs are friendly. / Water is essential for life. 3. Exceptions or Things to Pay Attention To: With some words, we do not use "a" or "an." For example, we do not say "a water" or "an information." Example: I need information for my project. (not "an information") 4. Additional Notes: Remember that "a" and "an" are only used for singular nouns. Use "the" when you talk about something that everyone knows or something specific. A common mistake is to use "the" with general nouns, like “the dogs are friendly,” instead of just saying “dogs are friendly.”