Articles: A, An, The — The Rules Nobody Tells You
July 24, 2026 · Sourov · 1 min read
⏱ 5 Minutes · A2/B1 · Cambridge
🌏 Sourov’s Story
“I want a water.” I said this on my first week in Sydney. The waiter stared. Water is uncountable — you don’t say a water unless you mean a bottle or a glass. Articles were the hardest thing about English for me as a Bengali speaker. Bengali has none.
📚 The Three Rules
| Article | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a / an | First mention; one of many | I saw a restaurant. |
| the | Both speaker & listener know which | The restaurant was full. |
| — (zero) | General / uncountable / plural | Water is essential. Dogs are loyal. |
✅ Quick Tips
- a before consonant sound: a university [/j/ sound]
- an before vowel sound: an hour [silent h]
- Countries: the UK, the USA — but France, Australia
✏️ Your Turn
Fill in: a / an / the / — (nothing)
- I need ___ advice.
- She is ___ honest woman.
- ___ sun rises in the east.
- He ordered ___ coffee and ___ orange juice.
- I love ___ music.
💡 Answers
- — (advice is uncountable)
- an
- The
- a coffee, an orange juice
- — (music in general)
Independent project — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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