"A, An, The" definite and indefinite articles in English

• a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with consonants Eric has a dog. Gregory works in a factory.



• an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with vowels (a,e,i,o,u) Can I have an apple? Donata is an English teacher.



• the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener know) The car over there is fast. The teacher is very good, isn't he?



• The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the". I live in a house. The house is quite old and has two bedrooms. I ate in a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant was not very clean.



• DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States". My uncle lives in Cumbria near Lake Windermere. They live in Bristol.



• Use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas - I live on a small island in the Baltic Sea.



• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general I like Indian tea. Simon likes reading books about linguistics.



• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport He has breakfast at home. I go to university. Magda comes to work by taxi.