Use of Articles — A, An, The Rules with Examples

English has two articles: the indefinite a/an and the definite the. Use a/an before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time, choosing between them by the first sound of the next word, not its first letter. Use the when the noun is already known, unique, or made specific by what follows. Use no article before most proper nouns, uncountable nouns and plurals used in a general sense.

Where it is set: SSC & HSC English 2nd Paper — Grammar

A or an is decided by sound, not by spelling

The choice between a and an depends on the first sound of the word that follows, not on its first letter. Use an before a vowel sound and a before a consonant sound. Because English spelling and English pronunciation often disagree, this distinction produces most of the mistakes in the item.

Say the word aloud before choosing. University begins with the letter u but the sound "yu", which is a consonant sound, so it takes a. Hour begins with the letter h but the sound "au", so it takes an.

Where spelling and sound disagree

• ✗ He is an university student. ✓ He is a university student. — “university” begins with a “yu” sound
• ✗ She waited for a hour. ✓ She waited for an hour. — the h in “hour” is silent

When to use "the"

The marks a noun as already identified — either because it has been mentioned before, because there is only one of it, or because something in the sentence makes it specific.

• Second and later mentions: I saw a boy. The boy was crying.
• Unique things: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky, the world.
• Before a superlative and before same, only, first, last: the best student, the only son.
• Before an adjective used as a plural noun: the poor, the rich, the blind.
• Before rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, groups of islands and deserts: the Padma, the Himalayas.
• Before the names of newspapers, holy books, ships and historic buildings: the Prothom Alo, the Quran, the Taj Mahal.
• Before a nationality used as a whole: the Bangladeshis, the English.
• Before an ordinal and before a musical instrument: the third chapter, play the flute.

• ✓ He is the best boy in the class. — a superlative always takes the
• ✓ The Padma is a mighty river. — rivers take the

When to use no article at all

The zero article is as much a part of the item as a, an and the, and blanks are set precisely where students overcorrect by inserting one. A noun used in a completely general sense normally takes no article.

• Plural and uncountable nouns used generally: Books are our best friends. Honesty is the best policy.
• Most proper nouns — people, cities, countries, single mountains, single lakes: Rahim, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mount Everest.
• Languages, subjects, games, meals and diseases: He speaks English. She plays cricket. after lunch, suffering from fever.
• Before a noun already fixed by a possessive or a demonstrative: my book, this pen — never the my book.
• In fixed phrases about purpose: go to school, go to bed, in hospital, at home, by bus, on foot.

• ✗ The honesty is the best policy. ✓ Honesty is the best policy. — an abstract noun in a general sense takes no article
• ✗ He goes to the school every day. ✓ He goes to school every day. — “go to school” means attend as a student

The pairs that decide a mark

A handful of nouns change meaning depending on whether the is present. These are set year after year because the difference is invisible to a student who has learned articles as a list of rules rather than as a signal of specificity.

• ✓ His father is in hospital. — he is a patient
• ✓ His father is in the hospital. — he is inside that particular building, perhaps visiting

How to fill an article blank in the exam

The passage-based article question rewards a fixed procedure. Do not read the blank on its own — read the sentence and, where the noun may have been mentioned earlier, the sentence before it.

• Is the noun countable and singular? If not, a/an is impossible.
• Has the noun been named before, or is it unique, or made specific by a phrase after it? If yes, the.
• Is this the first mention of one member of a class? If yes, a or an, decided by sound.
• Is it a plural, an uncountable, or a proper noun used generally? If yes, leave it blank.
• Finally, check for a fixed phrase (by bus, at home, in the morning) — these override every other rule.

• ✓ I bought ___ book. ___ book was interesting. → a … The — first mention, then second mention
• ✓ He was ___ honest man and ___ poor of the village loved him. → an … the — sound, then an adjective used as a noun

Practice

Work through these before you check the answers — the reasoning matters more than the answer.

1. He is ___ MA in English.
2. ___ rich are not always happy.
3. She goes to ___ college by ___ bus.
4. ___ Padma is ___ longest river in Bangladesh.
5. He waited for ___ hour but she did not come.
6. ___ honesty is ___ best policy.
7. He is ___ European gentleman.
8. My brother is ___ hospital with a broken leg.

Answers

1. an — “MA” is pronounced “em-ay”, a vowel sound.
2. The — an adjective used as a plural noun takes the.
3. no article … no article — “go to college” as a student, and “by bus” is a fixed phrase.
4. The … the — rivers and superlatives both take the.
5. an — the h in “hour” is silent.
6. no article … the — an abstract noun used generally, then a superlative.
7. a — “European” begins with a “yu” sound.
8. in — “in hospital”, no article, because he is a patient.