Articles-English Grammar for kids

What is an Article?

Articles are a part of some basic English grammar. They are words that come before a noun. There are basically two types of articles in English grammar and these are:

1. Definite Articles
2. Indefinite Articles

So, let’s move a bit further by learning about both of them.

Definite Articles

Definite Articles are literally the word “the”. They limit the meaning of a noun to just one particular thing and can be used with singular, plural, as well as uncountable nouns. These articles exactly define what the speaker is talking about by just pointing out one single thing.
For example – Are you going to the party this weekend?
Through this example, one learns that the speaker is referring to one particular party that both know exactly all about.

Example-Take the bus. (The bus is a specific bus and not just any bus thats why here The is called the Definite article)

Example-Simon went to the bakery (means that Simon went to a particular bakery so here its Definite article)

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite Articles, on the other hand, can be defined as something which takes two different forms. They indicate that a noun is referring to a general idea of something rather than a specific thing.
For example – Should I bring a gift to the party?
Through this example, one learns that the speaker is referring to any gift, a general gift in particular rather than talking about a specific that both know about.
Another example of the same could be, Please get me an autobiography when you’ll go to the market.

When Should You Use A or An?

A and an both mean the same thing.

Just follow these rules to know which to use:  

Use 'an' before a noun that begins with a vowel. Otherwise, use 'a'.

Tip:vowels are the letters a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.

Take a look:

An animal,
An elephant,
An ice cream,
An owl,
An umbrella

Use 'a' before nouns that begin with a consonant.

Tip: consonants are all of the letters that aren't vowels.

For example:

A Tree,
A bee,
A snake,
A cake

Let’s Practice!

What article should be used in the sentence? A or an?