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Teacher cue
B1 · English Grammar

Articles:
A/An, The, No Article

I saw a dog. The dog was friendly. Ø Dogs are loyal.

a / an the
The choice

Three options, one decision: how specific is it?

a / an
first mention · general singular

I saw a dog in the park.

the
specific · already known

The dog I saw yesterday came back.

Ø
general plural / uncountable

Ø Dogs are loyal animals.

A / An

Singular, not-yet-specific nouns

A veterinarian takes care of animals. (any vet, in general)
I heard there is a new veterinarian in town. (first mention)
She is an engineer. (vowel sound → an)
The

When both people know which one

The school counselor talked to us about careers. (our specific counselor)
The elephant is known for its intelligence. (elephants as a species)
Wolves sometimes howl at the moon. (only one moon)
No article (Ø)

Speaking generally

Ø Dolphins and whales are very intelligent. (plural, general)
Ø Stress can be an issue when working with animals. (uncountable, general)
Ø Music makes people happy. · Ø Water is essential for life.
⚠ Watch out

Common mistakes

I saw the dog in the park. (first mention)

I saw a dog in the park.

She plays a piano every day.

She plays the piano every day.

The dogs are loyal animals. (general)

Ø Dogs are loyal animals.

She is a honest person.

She is an honest person.

Now it's your turn

Let's
practice.

Say the answer out loud — then tap to check.

Practice 1
tap the blank to reveal

A, an, the, or Ø?

I sawcat in the garden this morning.(I haven't mentioned it before)
Can you closedoor, please? It's cold.(we both know which one)
Honesty is the best policy.(an idea in general)
She wants to becomearchitect.(one of many — listen to the sound)
Cats are independent animals.(plural, in general)
Practice 2
tap a sentence to reveal the error

Spot the mistake

She plays theA piano beautifully andB hopes to become professional musicianC inD an orchestra.

Cprofessional musician → a professional musician

✓ a singular countable noun needs an article

The news about the floods wereA very worrying, soB the government sentC help toD the region.

AThe news about the floods were → The news about the floods was

✓ news is uncountable → was

We spent aA week in theB Netherlands andC then traveled to the SpainD by train.

Dthe Spain → Spain

✓ no the with most country names

Practice 3
tap to reveal a model answer

Complete the sentence

For breakfast I usually have
Last week I bought a jacket, but
The best place in my town is
I never eat
Speak & write

Your turn

Use a/an, the, or no article correctly.

Describe your dream job using "a" or "an" — what is it?
Make a general statement about an animal you like, using no article.
Talk about a specific place in your city using "the".
Tell a short story: introduce a person, then refer back to them.
Recap

Remember this

a / an
first mention, general singular
the
specific, known by both
no article
general plural / uncountable
an before
vowel sound, not vowel letter

Ask: is this specific, general singular, or general plural/uncountable?

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