An article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech. In English, both "the" and "a/an" are articles, which combine with nouns to form noun phrases.

1. Articles
Look at these examples to see how articles are used.
She's a doctor.
I need an umbrella.
Have you heard the news?
I don't like spiders.

2. Exercise
1. I like listening to ---------- music. It helps me relax.
2. ---------- money he gave me wasn't enough.
3. He doesn't like --------- dogs. One bit him when he was a child.
4. Could you please pass me--------- salt
5. Do you want --------- apple? I've got two in my bag.
6. I can take ---------- children to school today.
7. This is my uncle Phil. He's --------- teacher and he lives in London.
8. Is there --------university where you live?

3. Answers
1. I like listening to__-__ music. It helps me relax.
2. _The__money he gave me wasn't enough.
3. He doesn't like _-__dogs. One bit him when he was a child.
4. Could you pass me _the__salt, please?
5. Do you want _an__ apple? I've got two in my bag.
6. I can take _the__children to school today.
7. This is my uncle Phil. He's__a__ teacher and he lives in London.
8. Is there __a__university where you live?

4. Here are some of the most important
things to know about using articles.
Jobs
When we say what people's jobs are, we usually use a/an.
He's an architect.
She's a scientist.
My grandmother was a teacher.

5. Singular nouns
Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the (or another determiner – my,
your, this, that, etc.).

6. when we talk about something for the first time, or something that is part of a
group or type.
I saw a good film yesterday.
Do you want a drink?

7. We use a when the word that follows it
begins with a consonant sound.
We use an when it's followed by a vowel sound. This makes pronunciation easier.
She has a university degree.
It took me an hour to get home.

8. We use the – the definite article – when the listener
already knows which thing we are talking about
because it was mentioned before or because there's
only one of them.
I'm going to take the dog for a walk.
Have you seen the car key?
They go to the school next to the bridge.

9. Things in general
When we talk about things in general, we normally use
a plural or uncountable noun with no article.
Birds eat worms.
Water freezes at 0°C.
Children need a lot of sleep.

10. Particular groups of things
When we talk about a particular
group of things, we use the.
We went to the zoo and saw the kangaroos.
(These are the particular kangaroos in that zoo –
not kangaroos in general.)

11. Complete the sentences with 'a', 'an' or
'the',or '-' if no article is needed
,,,

12. Answers
1. Do you want__a__ sandwich? I've got cheese and bread in the shopping bag.
2. She wants to be _an__ambulance driver when she finishes school.
3. Did you see _the__moon last night?
4. I really hate __-__mosquitos. They always bite me.
5. If you need to contact me over the weekend, please send me _an__ email.
6. I'm a fun-loving person. I love _-_parties and dancing!
7. I'll be there in __an__ hour.
8._The__ teachers at my son's school are great.

13. Look at these examples to see when the is and
isn't used.
I'm going to bed.
I walk to work.
My children are going to start school.
I visited the school yesterday.
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.

14. Complete the sentences with 'the' or '-' if no article is needed.
1. What time do you finish ------work?
2. He's in ------- India.
3. When she finishes --------- school, she wants to study medicine at -------- university.
. 4. --------- Nile is the longest river in ---------Africa. It flows north from --------- Lake Victoria to the
Mediterranean Sea
5. He's at --------- hospital visiting his mum.
6. I'm really tired. I'm going to go --------- home and go to -------- bed early.
7. They're in -------- Alps on a climbing holiday.
8. They caught him and he was sent to ---------- prison.

15. Answers
1. What time do you finish _-_work?
2. He's in __-__India.
3. When she finishes__-__ school, she wants to study medicine at __-__university.
4. _The__ Nile is the longest river in __-__Africa. It flows north from __-__Lake Victoria to the
Mediterranean Sea
5. He's at_the_ hospital visiting his mum.
6. I'm really tired. I'm going to go __-__ home and go to __-__ bed early.
7. They're in _the_ Alps on a climbing holiday.
8. They caught him and he was sent to _-_ prison.

16. Common phrases
We don't usually use an article in expressions with bed, work
and home.
go to bed / be in bed
go to work / be at work / start work / finish
work
go home / be at home / get home / stay at
home

17. We also don't normally use an article in expressions with
school, university, prison and hospital.
start school / go to school / be at school
go to university / be at university
be sent to prison / go to prison / be in
prison
go to hospital / be in hospital

18. But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the
place, and not there as a student/prisoner/patient, etc.
My son has started school now. I went to the
school to meet his teacher.
I went to the prison a lot when I was a social
worker.
I'm at the hospital. My sister has just had a baby.

19. Place names
We don't normally use an article for continents, most countries,
cities, towns, lakes, mountains or universities. So, we say:
Africa, Asia, Europe
India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Tanganyika
Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus
Cardiff University, Harvard University, Manchester
University

20. Some countries are different. Country names with
United have the. There are other countries which are
exceptions too. So, we say:
the United Arab Emirates, the
United Kingdom, the United States
of America
the Bahamas, the Gambia

21. Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers
have the:
the Atlantic, the Pacific, the
Mediterranean
the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze

22. Universities with of in the title also have the:
the University of Cape Town,
the University of Delhi, the
University of Tokyo

23. Complete the sentences with 'the' or '-' if no article is needed.
1. I'm still at --------- work but I'll leave soon.
2. I'm going to-------- prison to see my uncle.
3. --------- University of Nottingham is in --------United Kingdom.
4. Every Friday my grandad goes to --------- prison to teach a maths class.
5. She was born in Japan, but she went to --------- university in---------- Bahamas.
6. My daughter does piano classes after --------- school.
7. I'm going to-------- school for a parents' meeting.
8. The Danube flows from --------
Germany, through ---------- Central Europe to --------- Black Sea.

24. Answers
1. I'm still at __--__work but I'll leave soon.
2. I'm going to __the__ prison to see my uncle.
3_The__ University of Nottingham is in _the__United Kingdom.
4. Every Friday my grandad goes to _the__ prison to teach a maths class.
5. She was born in Japan, but she went to __-__university in __the__ Bahamas.
6. My daughter does piano classes after __-___school.
7. I'm going to __the__ school for a parents' meeting.
8. The Danube flows from _-__Germany, through _-__Central Europe to _the_Black Sea.