Here are the correct articles for each sentence: 1. Did you bring an umbrella? 2. Are you looking for the shampoo? 3. I checked the mailbox again. 4. Can I have a spoon please? 5. I was born into a poor family. 6. She will come back in an hour. 7. Have you been to the Space Needle Tower in Seattle? 8. I would love to talk to one of the managers. 9. What an amazing view! 10. The helicopter landed on the roof of a building.

1. ARTICLES
The 3 articles in English are a, an and the.
The learner has to decide noun-by-noun which
one of the articles to use. In fact, there are 4
choices to make, because sometimes no article
is necessary. Native-speakers, of course, use
the articles correctly without thinking in
everyday spoken language.

2. The most important first step in choosing the correct article is to
categorize the noun as count or uncount in its context.
- A count noun is a noun that can have a number in front of it: 1
teacher, 3 books, 76 trombones, 1,000,000 people.
- An uncount noun is a noun that cannot have a number put in front
of it: 1 water, 2 lucks, 10 airs, 21 oils, 39 informations. Once you
have correctly categorized the noun (using your dictionary if
necessary), the following "rules" apply:
 Uncountable nouns
 You cannot say a/an with an uncount noun.
 You cannot put a number in front of an uncount noun. (You cannot
make an uncount noun plural.)
 You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean that thing in
general.
 You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a
particular example of that thing.

3. Countable nouns
• You can put a number in front of a count noun. (You can
make a count noun plural.)
• You can put both a/an and the in front of a count noun.
• You must put an article in front of a singular count noun.
• You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or
any of that thing.
• You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say
or write that noun.
• You use the with count nouns:
– the second and subsequent times you use the noun in a
piece of speech or writing
– when the listener knows what you are referring to (maybe
because there is only one of that thing)
• You use an (not a) when the next word (adverb, adjective,
noun) starts with a vowel sound.

4. Indefinite Article (a, an)
The articles are a, an, usually referred to as the indefinite
article.
 This is used when the noun that we wish to refer to is
unknown to our listener/reader or is not part of the common
ground that we share. It is most often used to introduce new
information. Examples :
• I saw a UFO yesterday.
• Tell me a story.
• Have you ever seen a tornado?
 an—used before singular count nouns beginning with a
vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or vowel sound: an apple, an elephant,
an issue, an orange
 a—used before singular count nouns beginning with
consonants (other than a, e, i, o, u): a stamp, a desk, a TV, a
cup, a book

5. Definite Article (the)
As we noted above, the articles are the, usually referred to as the definite article.
 The is used with certain fixed expressions where there is often common
knowledge, for example places of entertainment, oceans and seas, hotels etc.
the Alps, the cinema, the Pacific Ocean, the Hyatt and even for some more
generic terms such as ‘the High Street’, ‘the open seas’.
 Note also that the is sometimes (but not always) used with some countries’
names, such as:
• She lives in England, which is part of the UK
• He visited the China Republic
• I think the Philippines is a beautiful country
• Jack loves the Netherland and works in the Hague.
 In addition, when referring to some named or unnamed organizations, for
example:
• He was arrested by the FBI.
• She works for the BBC.
• The U.N. has its headquarters in New York.
• He left home and joined the army.
 Can be used before singular and plural, count and non-count nouns, such as :
the apple – the apples, the camel, the water, etc.

6. No article
If we want to refer to something general and the nouns that we
are using are either plural or uncountable, we leave out articles.
•I really like funfairs. (‘funfairs’ in general; I have no specific
funfair in mind.)
•It’s brought us nothing but trouble. (uncountable noun)
Some of the other times when an article is not needed are:
•with proper nouns like people’s names, countries, towns, cities,
single mountains, streets, lakes, and countries (but see note
above about certain countries and places).
•meals – when are we having lunch, I have cereal for breakfast.
•certain time expressions – next year, last month, this week, on
Friday, at five o’clock.
•in an institution – he’s in prison, I’m at school next week, do you
go to university.

7. Choose the correct article in each sentence.
1. Did you bring (a, an, the) umbrella?
2. Are you looking for (a, an, the) shampoo?
3. I checked (a, an, the) mailbox again.
4. Can I have (a, an, the) spoon please?
5. I was born into (a, an, the) poor family.
6. She will come back in (a, an, the) hour.
7. Have you been to (a, an, the) Space
Needle Tower in Seattle?
8. I would love to talk to one of (a, an, the)
managers.
9. What (a, an, the) amazing view!
10. The helicopter landed on (a, an, the) roof
of a building.