Articles are either definite or indefinite. The indefinite article "a" or "an" is used when the speaker does not specify the noun, such as "I met a friend." The indefinite article "a" is used before consonant sounds, while "an" is used before vowel sounds. The definite article "the" refers to a specific noun known to both the speaker and listener, like "The president is giving a speech." When referring to a noun for the first time, an indefinite article is used, and then the definite article for subsequent references, such as "I live in a house. The house is quite old."