Untitled

use of ¨the¨ and ¨a/an¨

the

a/an

Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word

a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog

an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan

a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle

an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour

"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For example:

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group.

The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.

Do use the before:

names of rivers, oceans and seas

points on the globe

deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas

geographical areas

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article

Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds