Those Little Words...A, An, and The

Table of Articles

NUMBER	INDEFINITE	DEFINITE
Singular	a / an	the
Plural	nothing	the
Non-Count	nothing	the

Quick Hints

• a before consonants (a book)
  an before vowels or consonants with a vowel sound (an exam, an honest mistake) 


• Temporary illnesses: (I have a headache, a cold, a fever, a backache)


• "The" with superlative forms (He is the smartest kid I have seen.)

Singular count nouns:

indefinite: use 'a'

definite: use "the"

My daughter wants to buy a dog this weekend. (Indefinite-Could be any dog)
The dog in the backyard is very cute.(Definite-The one in the backyard) 

He requested a puppy for his birthday.
He wanted the puppy he played with at the pet shop.
She ordered a hamburger without onions.
Did you drink the coke I just ordered? 

Plural count nouns:

Use "the" or Nothing, never 'a'. 
Come and look at the children. (definite)
Children are always curious. (indefinite)
She loves flowers. (indefinite)
The flowers in her garden are beautiful. (definite)
Do you like reading grammar rules?
Do you like reading the grammar rules on this page? 

Non-count nouns:

Use "the" or nothing.
He has experience. (if indefinite or mentioned for the first time)
He has the experience necessary for the job. (if definite or mentioned before)

The medicine the doctor prescribed had unpleasant side effects.
Writing in a second language is especially challenging.
Have you studied the history of South Africa?
History reminds us that events repeat themselves.

Definite Article THE Rules

Adjectives as Nouns

When referring to a group of people by use of an adjective rather than a noun, use "the". 

the elderly	the disabled	the unemployed
the rich	the sick	the needy
the homeless	the young	the restless

Names of Countries

Some countries are preceded by "the", usually if the name is plural, contains an adjective, or includes "of".

The United States	The Soviet Union	The Republic of Congo
America	Russia	Spain
Japan	China	Mexico

Rivers, Oceans, Seas, Groups of Mountains & Islands use "the"

the Amazon	the Atlantic	the Mediterranean
the Cascades	the Hawaiian Islands	the Bahamas

Location versus Activity

When referring to an activity, use nothing 
I am going to school now.(activity-study) 
He is always on time for class. (activity-learn)

When referring to the location, use "the" 

The meeting is at the school. (location-campus)
They are remodeling the movie theater. (location-building)
The new student had trouble finding the class. (location-classroom) 

Unique Objects - Use THE

the earth	the human race	the world
the moon	the sun	the universe

Part of a larger group, Use THE

-One of the students
-None of the students
-Both of the students
-All of the students 

To practice online:

Articles tutorial

Definite and Indefinite Articles

Articles

Article Exercises

More rules for using articles:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

http://www.englishpage.com/articles/advanced-articles.htm