LoginIndefinite Articles
In this lesson, master the use of indefinite articles "a" and "an" to indicate non-specific nouns. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Are Indefinite Articles?
Indefinite articles are used to introduce a noun that has not been previously mentioned or is not specific. They are used when the speaker is referring to a new or unspecified noun, or when the listener does not know which particular noun the speaker is referring to and might ask a question using 'which' to identify the noun.
English Indefinite Articles
There are only two indefinite articles in English:
a
an
English indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' are used in many cases but in general, they are used with the following nouns:
Singular countable nouns: You can only use an indefinite article with a countable noun and it is a singular marker, so you cannot use it with uncountable or plural countable nouns
Common nouns: You can only use indefinite articles with common nouns. Using 'a' with proper nouns is very rare.
Before we discuss when and how to use indefinite articles, let us see the difference between 'a' and 'an'.
The Difference Between 'A' and 'An'
We use 'a' or 'an' depending on the initial sound of the word that follows the article:
If the noun starts with a consonant sound, use a
If the noun starts with a vowel sound, use an
a girl
The noun 'girl' begins with a constant /g/ sound so we use 'a'.
An orange
The noun 'orange' begins with a vowel /ɒ/ sound so we use 'an'.
Keep in mind that not all words that begin with a vowel letter necessarily begin with a vowel sound and not all words that begin with a consonant letter necessarily begin with a consonant sound. Consider the examples below:
An hour
The noun 'hour' starts with letter 'h' (a consonant) but 'h' here is not pronounced so the word starts with a vowel sound and gets 'an'.
A university
The noun 'university' starts with letter 'u' (a vowel) but the initial sound of the word is /j/, so we use 'a' instead of 'an.'
Abbreviations
With abbreviations, you should choose between 'a' and 'an' depending on how the first letter is pronounced. For example:
An F&A Union
F is a consonant, but begins with the sound /e/, so we say 'an F&A union'.
A EULA
Indefinite Articles: Placement
As mentioned before, indefinite articles come before a noun or noun phrase and choosing 'a' or 'an' should be based on the sound that the noun phrase begins with. In other words, if an adjective is used before the head noun of the phrase, the article is chosen based on the initial sound of the adjective rather than the noun. Take a look at the examples below:
A well-equipped airplane
Here noun 'airplane' begins with a vowel sound but the whole noun phrase begins with 'w' (a consonant) so we should use 'a'.
An awesome car
Indefinite Articles: Uses
In the most general sense, the indefinite article can express a quantitative and a non-quantitative kind of indefiniteness. In the quantitative sense, it means 'one' but with less emphasis on quantity than the cardinal number. In the non-quantitative use, the indefinite article indicates membership of a general set or group. Let us consider the specific use cases of indefinite articles in more details.
Referring to Something Unspecific
We can use indefinite articles to refer to something unspecific in general. Using an indefinite article indicates that the speaker does not have a specific thing in mind. Take a look at these examples:
I need a job.
Here by using 'a' the speakers indicates that they do not have a specific job in mind.
I need the job.
Use of 'the' (the definite article) indicates that the speaker is talking about a specific job.
Using a description with an indefinite article can help to narrow down the scope of a noun without making it definite. Look at these examples:
We are looking for a white car.
Using an indefinite article shows that any 'white car' would be good.
We are looking for the white car.
Here, by using a definite article 'the', speakers indicate that they are looking for a specific car which is white.
Referring to Something Unknown
Indefinite articles are used to refer to an unknown person or thing. In these cases, the speaker is referring to a specific person or thing, but they do not know the identity of that thing or person, so an indefinite article is used. Take a look at these examples:
He saw a man in the store.
Here, although we are talking about a specific man, because the speaker does not know the identity of that man, an indefinite article is used.
When using an indefinite article to refer to an unknown or unspecified person or thing, it is typically used only in the first reference to that person or thing. In subsequent references to the same entity, the definite article is used instead. This is because once the noun has been introduced with an indefinite article, it is no longer unknown or unspecified. Take a look at this example:
He saw a man in the store. The man bought 20 bottles of milk.
By using 'the man' in the second sentence we indicate that we are talking about the same man. If we use an indefinite determiner in the second sentence, it would be assumed that they are two different men.
Referring to a Member of a Group with the Same Features
When the subject complement used after a linking verb is a noun phrase, it takes indefinite articles unless it's a proper noun. In such cases, the use of the indefinite article shows that the subject is a member of a group or class, such as a profession, nationality, religion, etc. This is one of the cases where the indefinite article is used non-quantitatively. Here are some examples:
He always wanted to be a singer.
'A' is used to refer to a member of a profession (singer).
I'm a Protestant.
'A' is used to refer to a religious group (Protestant).
Are you an Irishman or an Englishman?
'A' is used to refer to a nationality (being English or Irish).
Referring to a Whole Group
Indefinite articles can be used to refer to a specific group or category or to all members or things in a group generally. Here too, the article is non-quantitative in nature. Take a look at the examples:
An elephant is a mighty animal.
Here 'an elephant' is referring to all elephants or elephants as a group. And 'a mighty animal' is a noun phrase in which 'a' is preceding the adjective 'mighty'.
A flower should be handled delicately.
In this sentence, 'a flower' is representing all flowers.
Tip!
When referring to the whole group, definite article and zero article are also acceptable alternatives which refer to the group in a generic sense. When using zero article, the noun should be in plural form, while with definite and indefinite articles it is in singular form.
The elephant is a mighty animal.
Elephants are mighty animals.
With Days of the Week and Months
Both days of the week and months are treated as proper nouns in English, which means they normally don't take any articles. However, there are some special cases when they can take the indefinite article. When referring to a particular day of the week but on an unspecific date, we can use the indefinite article 'a' with the name of the day of the week. Also, when talking about a specific instance of a month of the year, the indefinite article can be used. Let us see some examples:
I met her on a Friday.
Here, Friday refers to a day of the week but without specifying a specific date.
I'll eventually go there on a Sunday.
It was a December I'll never forget.
Refers to a particular December in memory.
Talking about Amount and Rate
Indefinite articles are also used to talk about prices, amounts, quantities, and rates. They introduce the scale or standard for the measurement. For example:
This type of rice costs 50$ a kilo.
Here, the sentence means that one kilo of the rice costs 50$. The indefinite artricle is quantitative in this case.
In Some Numbers
'A' is used before some compound numbers instead of 'one'. For example:
One hundred = A hundred
One thousand = A thousand
Tip!
As mentioned earlier, uncountable nouns cannot normally take a/an. However, there are occasions when indefinite articles might be used before uncountable nouns. In such cases, the indefinite determiner separates a portion or amount of that noun, but does not make it countable. For example:
There was a time when I enjoyed running.
As you may know, "time" is a uncountable noun but here, it refers to a specific period or instance.
He experienced a love that changed his life.
"Love" is an uncountable noun but here, it refers to a specific romantic relationship.
Review
Indefinite articles are used to narrow the scope of a noun without specifying it. English indefinite articles are 'a' and 'an'. These articles are used before singular countable nouns:
a | used before consonant sounds | He has a weird habit. |
an | used before vowel sounds | They left about an hour ago. |
Indefinite articles have many functions. Some of them are:
Referring to something unknown
Referring to a member of a group with same traits and features
Referring to a whole group
Before days of the week and months
Talking about rates and amounts
Used in some numbers to mean 'one'
Quiz:
Which of the following sentences uses an indefinite article correctly?
She bought an university book yesterday.
I saw a elephant at the zoo.
He met a friend on a Friday.
They stayed in an hotel near the beach.
Sort the words to form a correct sentence.
Complete each sentence using the appropriate article.
He is
honorable man who always does the right thing.
She gave me
unique gift for my birthday.
She has
brilliant idea about how to solve the problem.
I heard
European singer on the radio today.
She adopted
old cat from the shelter.
Match the description on the left with the correct example on the right.
Which sentence is different?
I saw an owl sitting on the tree last night.
He wants to become an engineer when he grows up.
There was a time when I enjoyed running.
That costs fifty dollars a pound.
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