{"id":1790,"date":"2014-01-27T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2014-01-27T17:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=1790"},"modified":"2019-04-21T19:16:15","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T02:16:15","slug":"definite-and-indefinite-articles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/definite-and-indefinite-articles\/","title":{"rendered":"Definite and Indefinite Articles for ESL Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This topic is an important one for ESL writers because it covers two small but incredibly important words in the English vocabulary: &#8220;the&#8221; and &#8220;a.&#8221; These two seemingly insignificant words are called <i>articles<\/i>. If you are an ESL writer who wants to write more fluently and naturally, you&#8217;ll want to learn to use them.<\/p>\n<p>I can&#8217;t tell you how many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/s\/services-for-ESL-speakers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESL papers I&#8217;ve edited<\/a> where the author simply leaves articles out of sentences. The resulting sentences read like these ones:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;I felt sharp toothache.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1418 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1418 alignnone lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><\/a>&#8220;Without her there, team will suffer.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, the result is language that is unclear and incorrect.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that the English language only uses two articles: &#8220;the&#8221; and &#8220;a&#8221; (or &#8220;an&#8221;). This is easier than a language, such as Spanish, that has fourteen articles but, perhaps, more difficult than a language, such as Gaelic, that <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Article_(grammar)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has no articles at all<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So with only two of them to learn, using articles in English should be a pretty easy task? Right?<\/p>\n<p>Not necessarily. The difficulty comes from the many nuances of correctly using articles.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, I&#8217;m going to outline the various rules of article usage and help you get a grasp on using definite and indefinite articles in English. Next time you write a paper, hopefully you won&#8217;t misuse them or leave them out.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles Defined<\/h2>\n<p>Let&#8217;s define the terms we&#8217;re working with.<\/p>\n<p>First of all, <i>articles are adjectives<\/i>, which means they modify nouns. You <i>only<\/i> <i>use an article before a noun<\/i>. Let me show you how this works. In the following examples, I will <b>bold<\/b> all articles and <i>italicize<\/i> all nouns.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1555 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1555 alignnone lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><\/a>&#8220;<b>The<\/b> <i>bear<\/i> ate <b>the<\/b> <i>trash<\/i>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In this sentence, the article &#8220;the&#8221; modifies both nouns, &#8220;bear&#8221; and &#8220;trash.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Here is another sentence:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;Somehow, <b>an<\/b> <i>armadillo<\/i> had crossed <b>the<\/b> <i>river<\/i>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In this sentence, the article &#8220;an&#8221; modifies the noun &#8220;armadillo,&#8221; and the article &#8220;the&#8221; modifies the noun &#8220;river.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Remember, <i>since articles are adjectives, they always modify nouns<\/i>. You wouldn&#8217;t, for instance, use an article to modify a verb\u2026<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;Can you <b><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">the<\/span><\/b> <i>help<\/i> me <b><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a<\/span><\/b> <i>lift<\/i> this box?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Or an adverb\u2026<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;He walked <b><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">the<\/span><\/b> <i>slowly<\/i> down Park Avenue.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>All right, so at this point you&#8217;ve learned that there are two articles in the English language and that they are adjectives that modify nouns\u2014and only nouns. Let&#8217;s move on.<\/p>\n<h2>Using Adjectives with Articles<\/h2>\n<p>When adding adjectives to your sentence, place them between the article and the noun. Watch what happens to this sample sentence when we add the adjective &#8220;sneaky.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;<b>The<\/b> sneaky <i>bear<\/i> ate the trash.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In this sentence, &#8220;the&#8221; modifies &#8220;bear,&#8221; and so does &#8220;sneaky.&#8221; When considering the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/avoid-3-common-esl-writing-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">order of adjectives<\/a>, &#8220;the&#8221; comes first.&nbsp; Let&#8217;s add another adjective to our sentence:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;<b>The<\/b> sneaky, fat <i>bear<\/i> ate the trash.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, you write &#8220;the&#8221; before the adjectives &#8220;sneaky&#8221; and &#8220;fat,&#8221; followed by the noun &#8220;bear.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1793\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7.jpg\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1793 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20333%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20333%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7-300x199.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Sun_Bear_7.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s try that again:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>&#8220;Somehow, <b>a<\/b> courageous <i>armadillo<\/i> had crossed <b>the<\/b> raging <i>river<\/i>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Again, the <b>article<\/b> comes first, followed by any additional adjectives (&#8220;courageous&#8221; and &#8220;raging&#8221;), followed by the <i>noun<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you have an idea of what an article is and how it is used in a sentence, let&#8217;s talk about the difference between definite and indefinite articles.<\/p>\n<h2>Definite Article\u2014&#8221;The&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;The&#8221; is a <b>definite article<\/b>, and it modifies a <i>specific<\/i> noun.<\/p>\n<p>What makes a noun specific? Good question. Here are three ways a noun can be specific:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>A noun is specific if it represents a single member of a group.For example, if I write, &#8220;get <b>the<\/b> blue <i>bowl<\/i>,&#8221; I&#8217;m asking you to get a specific bowl from a group of bowls\u2014the blue one.<\/li>\n<li>A noun is also specific if the writer has already mentioned it before in the text.Let&#8217;s say I write, &#8220;I always wanted a car, so when I got my first job, I bought myself a red convertible. <b>The<\/b> <i>car<\/i> was beautiful.&#8221; In this example, I write &#8220;the car&#8221; because in the previous sentence, I identified which car I was talking about. I&#8217;m not discussing just any car\u2014I&#8217;m talking about a specific car.<\/li>\n<li>Finally, a noun is specific if it is common knowledge and both the writer and reader are aware of its existence.Consider this sentence, &#8220;<b>The<\/b> <i>moon<\/i> was full that night.&#8221; Unless I&#8217;m writing a science fiction novel, there is only one possible moon that I could be talking about\u2014it is definitely <b>the<\/b> <i>moon<\/i>. &nbsp;You know, the one you can see in the sky whether you&#8217;re in the U.S. or Korea. Yeah, that one.Other examples include references to known and common nouns, such as <b>the<\/b> <i>sun, <\/i><b>the<\/b><i> ground, <\/i>and <b>the<\/b> <i>sky<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1794\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1794\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1794\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2.jpg\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1794 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20322%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20322%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2-300x193.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/planetary_romance2.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image credit: &#8220;Planetary Romance&#8221; by Per Johannson\u2014Creative Commons License<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Got it? <i>Use the definite article &#8220;the&#8221; when you are talking about a specific and known noun<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s move on to indefinite articles.<\/p>\n<h2>Indefinite Article\u2014&#8221;A\/An&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;A&#8221; (or &#8220;an&#8221;) is an indefinite article, and it modifies a non-specific or general noun.<\/p>\n<p>What makes a noun non-specific?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>A noun is non-specific if it refers to any member of a group.<br>\nFor example, if I write, &#8220;get <b>a<\/b> <i>bowl<\/i>,&#8221; I&#8217;m asking you to get any bowl from a group of bowls\u2014 I&#8217;m not specifying which one.<\/li>\n<li>A noun is non-specific when the writer is mentioning it for the first time in the text.<br>\nFor example, I might write, &#8220;It was <b>a<\/b> beautiful<i> car<\/i>.&#8221; In this case, this is the first time I&#8217;ve mentioned the car, and it is, so far, a general and non-specific noun.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>&nbsp;A Note About &#8220;An&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Are you wondering about the difference between &#8220;a&#8221; and &#8220;an&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>In English, you use &#8220;an&#8221; whenever the following word starts with a <i>vowel sound<\/i>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>An avocado<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>An earring<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>An hour (In this example, even though the letter &#8220;h&#8221; is a consonant, when you say &#8220;hour&#8221; out loud, it starts with a <i>vowel sound<\/i>\u2014so use &#8220;an.&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>An excellent movie (In this example, even though &#8220;an&#8221; modifies &#8220;movie,&#8221; because the article is placed before an adjective with a vowel sound (&#8220;excellent&#8221;), you use &#8220;an.&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use &#8220;a&#8221; whenever the following word starts with a <i>consonant sound<\/i>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>A fingernail<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>A trampoline<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>A delicious apple (In this example, even though &#8220;a&#8221; modifies &#8220;apple,&#8221; because the article is placed before an adjective with a consonant sound, you use &#8220;a.&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When Not to Use Definite and Indefinite Articles<\/h2>\n<p>There are many cases when you don&#8217;t use an article before a noun. This is called a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/worldservice\/learningenglish\/radio\/specials\/1113_gramchallenge30\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>zero article<\/i><\/a>, which is just a fancy way of saying you don&#8217;t use any article at all.<\/p>\n<p><b>No articles before proper nouns<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In English, we don&#8217;t place articles in front of most proper nouns. For example, don&#8217;t use an article before a person&#8217;s name. I&#8217;m not &#8220;the Naomi&#8221; or &#8220;a Naomi.&#8221; I&#8217;m simply Naomi. Likewise, Lady Gaga is not &#8220;the Lady Gaga.&#8221; Here are a few more examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>The<\/span> President Obama<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>The<\/span> New York City<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>A<\/span> California<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa.jpg\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1795 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20752%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"500\" height=\"752\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20752%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa-199x300.jpg 199w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Lady_GaGa.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, an exception to this rule is when &#8220;the&#8221; is part of the name, as in the band name, The Doors.<\/p>\n<p>Other exceptions to this rule include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Plural country names, such as The United States and The United Arab Emirates.<\/li>\n<li>Names of universities that include the word &#8220;university,&#8221; such as The University of California and The University of Colorado.<\/li>\n<li>Names of rivers and mountain ranges, such as the Amazon River and the Himalayas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check out this post for more examples of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.edufind.com\/english\/grammar\/definite_article_exceptions.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">definite article exceptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Never use an indefinite article to modify a plural noun<\/b><\/p>\n<p>You will never use &#8220;a\/an&#8221; before a plural noun. &#8220;A\/an&#8221; only works as a singular\u2014in fact, &#8220;a&#8221; literally means &#8220;one.&#8221; So it can only refer to one thing at a time.&nbsp; Therefore, if you are writing about non-specific plural nouns, you use the zero article (remember, that means no article at all).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>An<\/span> Apples make me sick.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I bought <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a<\/span> books today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can, however, use the definite article &#8220;the&#8221; before plural nouns, assuming you want to be specific about the plural noun.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>The apples make me sick. (In this case, I&#8217;m referring to specific apples.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I bought the books today. (In this case, I&#8217;m referring to specific books.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Don&#8217;t use an indefinite article to modify noncount nouns<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I can hear you saying, &#8220;What is a noncount noun?&#8221; Basically, a <i>noncount noun<\/i>\u2014otherwise known as a <i>mass noun<\/i>\u2014is a noun that you can&#8217;t count!&nbsp; For example, you can&#8217;t count liquids like water, wine, or juice, and similarly, you can&#8217;t count grains of rice or sand (unless you are a mad scientist, I suppose).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1796\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o.jpg\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"720\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1796 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20720%20349%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"720\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20720%20349%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o-300x145.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/2069898453_fae00f305f_o.jpg\"><\/a>&nbsp;Since you can&#8217;t count these nouns, you wouldn&#8217;t use an indefinite noun, as in the following sentences:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I like <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a<\/span> rice.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I drink <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a<\/span> wine.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Bad Example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1380071015_Delete.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I have <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">a<\/span> sand in my shoes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sometimes you can use the definite article &#8220;the&#8221; when referring to noncount nouns but only when you are being <em>very<\/em> specific.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I like the rice. (In this example, I like that specific rice\u2014most likely, it&#8217;s the rice I&#8217;m eating at the moment I mention it.)<\/p>\n<p>But usually, you would just use a zero article in these cases:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I like rice.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I drink wine.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2028%2028%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Good example\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1380071640_Check.png\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/a>I have sand in my shoes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Definite and Indefinite Articles in Summary<\/h2>\n<p>As it turns out, there is a lot more to those two little English words than you might have thought. I know it&#8217;s complicated, but the more you practice, the easier it will become.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, I&#8217;ve created a handy table for you to print out and post by your computer. Hopefully, it will help you remember when to use articles and when not to.[sociallocker]<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1797\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM.png\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"753\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM.png 753w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM-300x96.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1797 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20753%20242%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles \" width=\"753\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20753%20242%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 753w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM.png 753w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM-300x96.png 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-01-16-at-5.24.19-PM.png\"><\/a>[\/sociallocker]&nbsp;And when you&#8217;re ready, test yourself using this <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usingenglish.com\/quizzes\/216.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quiz on English articles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry about being perfect in English. The important thing is to keep learning and keep reading and writing. If you enjoyed this lesson, you might also enjoy this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/english-prepositions-for-esl-writers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lesson on English prepositions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This topic is an important one for ESL writers because it covers two small but incredibly important words in the English vocabulary: &#8220;the&#8221; and &#8220;a.&#8221; These two seemingly insignificant words are called articles. If you are an ESL writer who wants to write more fluently and naturally, you&#8217;ll want to learn to use them. I &hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"blog-read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/definite-and-indefinite-articles\/\" class=\"more-link btn btn-primary\"><b>Read more<\/b><span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Definite and Indefinite Articles for ESL Writers&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":8624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,33],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Definite and Indefinite Articles for ESL Writers - Kibin Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you are an ESL writer who wants to write more fluently and naturally, you&#039;ll want to learn to use definite and indefinite articles in English.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/definite-and-indefinite-articles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Definite and Indefinite Articles for ESL Writers - 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