1. What Are Articles?

• Articles are words that come before nouns. The articles “a” and “an” are called indefinite articles because they refer to any one of something.

---

2. When to Use “a”?

• Use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound (letters that are not vowels: b, c, d, etc.).

Examples:

• a cat
• a book
• a house

---

3. When to Use “an”?

• Use “an” before words that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).

Examples:

• an apple
• an elephant
• an igloo

---

4. Special Case: Words that Start with “H”

• Words that start with “h” can be tricky because some words start with a silent “h,” which makes them sound like they begin with a vowel.
• Examples:
  • an hour (silent “h”)
  • a hat (the “h” is pronounced)

---

5. Important Tips:

• Always listen to the sound at the beginning of the word, not just the letter.
• For example: “an honest man” (silent “h”), but “a happy child” (pronounced “h”).

---

6. Practice with Examples:

1. Choose the correct article:
   “I have _ orange.”
   Answer: an orange
2. Choose the correct article:
   “She saw _ bird.”
   Answer: a bird
3. Fill in the blank:
   “He is eating _ egg.”
   Answer: an egg
4. Fill in the blank:
   “They found _ unicorn.”
   Answer: a unicorn (because “unicorn” starts with a “yoo” sound)

---

7. Why Are Articles Important?

• Articles help the reader or listener understand whether you’re talking about something general or specific.
• Using the correct article makes your sentences clear and easy to understand.

---