The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The indefinite article (A, AN)

The indefinite article is generally used before a singular countable noun when it has not been mentioned before and does not represent a unique thing or person:

A man

and

a woman

came in.

When the noun is mentioned again, the definite article the is used:

A man and a woman came in.

The man

was about 40 years old.

A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound, but if the following word starts with a vowel sound, we use an:

Regina was wearing

a dark

skirt and

an orange

blouse.

My uncle is

a university

lecturer.

(

university

starts with the vowel

u

but the consonant sound /j/)

He is

an honest

man.

(

honest

starts with the consonant

h

but it is silent here)

The indefinite article with a member of a class

The indefinite article in expressions of quantity

The indefinite article with certain numbers and fractions

The indefinite article instead of PER

The indefinite article to describe and classify something

The indefinite article with certain illnesses

The indefinite article with proper names