Articles

Articles, a type of determiner, are the words that are used before a noun to "determine" the precise meaning of the noun. Even though these are short, common words, they can cause some of the most difficult problems for ESL students. Determiners can be articles (a, an, the), demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those), possessive pronouns (my, your, his, hers, its, our, their) or quantifiers.

The articles a and the can prove especially difficult for students if their first language does not use comparable structures. Compare the meaning of these sentences:

1. I am a teacher. (I am one teacher among many teachers).
   I am the teacher. (I am the specific teacher of this class/group).
2. They enjoy listening to music. (A general statement of preference).
   They are listening to the music. (A specific reference to the fact that they can hear music now).

When trying to decide if an article is needed or not, or which one is correct, use the following diagram as an aid until the decision making process becomes automatic. The diagram below, and the chart of article usage, gives an overview only; use them in conjunction with a textbook and with a dictionary.

Use the diagram below to help determine whether or not a or the is needed in a specific construction. Remember that if a is required and the following noun begins with a vowel, use an. The table also helps to indicate which personal nouns and quantifiers can be used in the various situations. For more information on article and quantifier usage, please refer to a reference or textbook.