Articles in English.
definite article and indefinite article in English
In English grammar, articles are words used before a noun to indicate whether the noun is specific or nonspecific. There are two types of articles in English: definite article and indefinite article.
The definite article is the word "the" and is used before specific nouns that the speaker or writer assumes the listener or reader already knows or can identify from context. For example, "The dog barked at the mailman" refers to a specific dog that the speaker and listener both know about.
The indefinite article, on the other hand, is the word "a" or "an" and is used before nonspecific nouns or to indicate one of many possibilities. For example, "I saw a dog in the park" refers to any dog, not a specific one, and "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" means any apple, not a specific one.
The choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound at the beginning of the noun that follows. If the noun begins with a vowel sound, "an" is used; if it begins with a consonant sound, "a" is used. For example, "an apple" and "a dog."
