1. a/an (the indefinite article)
The form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a vowel with consonant sound.
Example:
| a man | a hat | a university | a European |
| a one-way street |
The form an is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, i, u, e, o) or words beginning with a mute h.
Example:
| an apple | an island | an uncle |
| an egg | an union | an hour |
Or individual letter spoken with a vowel sound.
Example:
| an L-plate | an MP | an SOS | an ‘X’ |
a/an is the same for all genders.
Example:
| a man | a women | an actor | an actress | a table |
2. use of a/an
a/an used :
A. Before a singular noun which is countable (i.e. of which there is more than one) when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing.
Example:
| I need a visa | They live in a flat | he bought an ice cream |
B. Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of thing.
Example:
| A car must be insured = All cars/ any car must be insured |
| A Child needs love = All Children need/ any child needs love |
C. With a noun complement. This includes names or professions.
Example:
| It was an earthquake | she’ll be a dancer | he is an actor |
D. In certain expressions of quantity.
Example:
| a lot of | a couple |
| a great many | a dozen (but one dozen is possible) |
| a great deal of |
E. With certain numbers.
Example:
| a hundred | a thousand |
Before half when half follows a whole number.
Example:
1 ½ kilos = one and a half kilos or a kilo and a half
But ½ kg = half of a kilo (no a before half), though a + half + noun is sometimes possible:
| a half-holiday | a half-portion | a half-share |
With 1/3 , ¼, 1/5 etc. a is usual: a third, a quarter etc. but one is also possible.
F. In expression of price, speed, ration etc.
Example:
| 5p a kilo | £1 a meters | sixty kilometers an hour |
| 10p a dozen | four times a day | |
| (Here a/an = per) |
G. In exclamation before singular, countable nouns.
Example:
| Such a long queue! | What a pretty girl! | But |
| such long queues! | what pretty girls! | |
| (Plural nouns, so no article. See 3) |
H. a can be placed before Mr/Mrs/Miss + surename.
Example:
| a Mr. Smith | a Mrs. Smith | a Miss Smith |
A Mr. Smith means ‘a man called Smith’ and implies that he is a stranger to the speaker. Mr. Smith, without a, implies that the speaker knows Mr. Smith or knows of his existence.
For difference between a/an and one (See Chapter 4) or for a few and a little (See Chapter 5).
3. Omission of a/an
a/an is omitted:
A. Before plural nouns.
a/an has no plural form. So the plural of a dog is dogs and of an egg is eggs.
B. Before uncountable nouns (see 13)
C. Before name of meals, except when these are preceded by an adjective.
Example:
We have breakfast at eight.
He gave is a good breakfast.
The article is also used when it is a special meal given to celebrate something or in someone’s honor.
Example:
I was invited to dinner (at their house, in the ordinary way) but
I was invited to a dinner given to welcome the new ambassador.
4. a/an and one
A. a/an and one (adjective)
1. When counting or measuring time, distance, weight etc. We can use either a/an or one for the singular.
Example:
| £1 = a/one pound | £1,000,000 = a/one million pounds |
| (See chapter 36) |
But note that in The rent is £100 a week, the a before week is not replaceable with one (see 2 F).
In other types of statement a/an and one are not normally interchangeable, because one + noun normally means ‘one only/not more than one’ and a/an does not mean this:
Example:
A Shotgun is no good. (it is the wrong sort of thing)
One shotgun is no good. (I need two or three)
2. Special uses of one
a) One (adjective/pronoun) used with another/others. Example:
One (boy) wanted to read, another/others wanted to watch TV.
One day he wanted his lunch early, another day he wanted it late.
b) One can be used before day/ week/ month/ year/ summer/ winter etc. or before the name of the day or month to denote a particular time when something happened.
Example:
One Night there was a terrible storm
One winter the snow fell early
One day a telegram arrived
c) One day can also be used to mean ‘at some future date’.
Example:
One day you’ll be sorry you treated him so badly.
B. a/an and one (pronoun)
One is the pronoun equivalent of a/an.
Example:
(I) Did you get a ticket? Yes, I managed to get one.
The plural of one used in this way is some.
Example:
(II) Did you get tickets? Yes, I managed to get some.
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