B1 - Definite and Indefinite Articles - No Article 12

Articles in English Grammar

📰Articles in English

🎯Explanation for ESL Kids and Teenagers (B1 Level)

📝In English, articles are small words we put before nouns. They help us understand if we are talking about something specific or general. There are two main types of articles:

🔹Definite article: the
🔸Indefinite articles: a and an

⭕There is also the zero article, which means no article is used.

1️⃣Indefinite Articles – "a" and "an"

🌟We use a or an when we talk about something general, not specific, or for the first time.

🅰️Use "a" before words that start with a consonant sound.
Example: "a dog", "a book", "a university" (because university sounds like "you")
🔤Use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
Example: "an apple", "an hour" (because hour sounds like it starts with a vowel)

⚠️We use a/an only with singular countable nouns.

2️⃣Definite Article – "the"

🎯We use the when we talk about something specific or unique—something both the speaker and listener know.

📋When to use "the":

💭When we talk about something already mentioned or known:
"I saw a dog. The dog was big."
☀️When there is only one of something:
"the sun", "the moon", "the earth"
👑With unique things or things that are one of a kind:
"the president", "the internet"
🏆With superlatives (the best, the first):
"She is the best student."

🗺️With geographical names like:

🏞️Rivers: "the Amazon", "the Nile"
🌊Oceans and seas: "the Pacific Ocean"
🏔️Mountain ranges: "the Alps"
🏝️Groups of islands: "the Bahamas"
🏜️Deserts: "the Sahara"
🏛️Countries with plural names or with "kingdom," "states": "the Netherlands," "the United States"

🏢With specific places like:

"the school", "the hospital" (when the listener knows which one)

3️⃣Zero Article (No Article)

⭕Sometimes, we do not use any article before nouns. This is called the zero article.

❓When do we use zero article?

🔢With plural countable nouns when talking generally:
"Dogs are friendly." (all dogs in general)
"Cars are fast."
💧With uncountable nouns when talking generally:
"Water is important."
"I like music."
🌍With names of most countries, cities, languages, and meals:
"Brazil is beautiful."
"I speak English."
"We eat breakfast at 7 a.m."
⚽With names of sports and subjects:
"I play football."
"Math is hard."
🏫With places like school, church, prison, hospital (when we talk about their main function, not a specific place):
"She goes to school." (meaning she is a student)
"He is in prison." (meaning he is a prisoner)