Articles (A/The)

There are only two articles in English: A/An and The. These are always found in front of a noun (something or someone) . Articles give us additional information about a noun, which is why they are considered adjectives.

Indefinite Articles: A / An

"A" and "An" work the same way, they are basically the same word. The only difference is for acoustic reasons (it sounds better).

• "A" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
A teacher, a car, a problem, a minute...
• "An" is used before words that begin with vowel sounds.
An architect, an apple, an idea, an hour...

The use of "A" and "An" depends on the initial sound of the following word, not necessarily the letter. For example, "hour" begins with an "h", but since it is silent, it is not considered, so we use "an": an hour.

It is important to learn to pay attention to what we hear and ignore what we see written. English is a non-phonetic language, which means it is not always pronounced as it is written.

• Use the indefinite articles "A" and "An" as synonyms for the number one.
There is a window in my room. There is one window in my room.
• Use the indefinite articles "A" and "An" when: you mention a noun for the first time.
I have an idea, guys. Let's order some pizza! Mom! There is a rat in the house!
• Use the indefinite articles "A" and "An" when: you talk about something unspecified or generic.
She is having a cup of coffee. There is an elephant in the room.
• Use the indefinite articles "A" and "An" when: you mention a noun of which there is more than one.
I am an English teacher. Excuse me, I need an ATM.

Definite Article: The

"The" is the only word considered a definite article. In English, "The" is used regardless of gender or number, unlike Spanish with "El", "La", "Los" and "Las".

Here are some tips for using "The" correctly.

• Use the definite article "The" when: you mention a noun for the second time.
A: Where is the rat? - B: Under the sofa! The cup of coffee she is having is delicious. The ATM in the corner is open 24/7.
• "The" is NOT used when talking about things in general.

I would say that in English the use of definite articles, compared to Spanish, is much less.

Spanish: "No me gusta el café. Tiene un sabor horrible." English: "I don't like coffee. It tastes terrible." English: "I don't like the coffee. It tastes terrible."
• "The" is used when talking about something specific, like the coffee from a café near your house.
I usually don't drink coffee, but the coffee here is delicious!

Using the article is not always the best option. The following sentence, for example, is incorrect, as the first sentence talks about coffee as a general drink, and the second sentence talks about the coffee from that place.

I usually don't drink the coffee, but the coffee here is delicious!

That is why the correct sentence is this:

I usually don't drink coffee, but the coffee here is delicious!
• Use "The" when referring to something or someone unique.

Imagine being in a classroom, where there is usually only one teacher and several students.

I will assume that you are my student in a class with five other students. What is your role in the classroom?

You are a student in my class and I'm the teacher.

In the classroom, there is only one teacher: "Frank is the teacher".

And there are six students, so when talking about one of them you would say: "Paulina is a student".

• Use "The" when referring to common things.

Think of your dear mother when she sent you for bread or milk. Saying something like:

Spanish: "Ve a la tiendita y compra leche."

When referring to the same small store you always went to, perhaps even greeted the owners, you and your mother knew you were referring to this particular store.

English: "Go to the store and get some milk." English: "Go to a store and get some milk." English: "Go to - store and get some milk."

I know it's a bit confusing at first, but take a look at the following examples and see how both parts of the conversation know exactly which one or which ones.

A: Honey, where is the toilet paper? - B: It's in the garage, behind the toolbox.

The toilet paper that belongs to them, the only garage in the house, behind the only toolbox that both people know is in the garage.

Conclusion

I know it's a lot of information, but remember that the goal of this website is to provide all the necessary information to understand how the English language works. In reality, only English teachers know these rules because we hate ourselves. If you want to speak English like a native, you will probably just acquire the instinct and know how to use this information naturally, without overthinking it. I just ask that you keep practicing, and thus you will develop a sense of what works and what doesn't when you speak English.