Articles

A, an and the are articles.

We use an before words starting with a vowel sound.

We use a before words starting with a consonant sound.

The is called a definite article. It is used with a particular person, animal or thing.

Examples :

• The man in green shirt is my uncle.
• Who ate the cake?

We usually do not use 'the' before names of villages, towns, cities and countries.

• I had an umbrella.
• I have a glass.
• The sun is shining.

Now, let us look at the different uses of the :

Use of 'the'	Examples
We use the when we talk or write about things that are only one of a kind.	the sun the earth
We use the with special popular names.	the Taj Mahal
We use a or an when we talk of a thing for the first time. But when we talk of that particular or definite thing again, we use the.	I have an orange in my basket. I want to eat the orange.

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