A, An, & The in English

A, An, & The in English Espresso English

I’m going to eat an apple.

A, An, & The in English Espresso English

I’m going to eat the red apple.

a / an general
(one of many)		 I want to buy a car.
He’s eating an apple.
Do you have a bike?
She is an old woman.
I’m reading a book.
the specific Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
The new Chinese restaurant is very good.
We like the blue car.
The girl in the red dress is beautiful.
I’m reading the new book by J.K. Rowling.

Use “an” if the word starts with the sound of a, e, i, o, u:

  • an apple
  • an egg
  • an ice cream shop
  • an open door
  • an umbrella

Use “a” if the word starts the sound of any other letter.

Do not use “the” with countries or cities:

  • I live in the China.
  • I live in China.

Do not use “the” with things in general:

  • She likes the pizza.
  • She likes pizza. (pizza in general)
  • She likes the pizza from Tony’s Restaurant.
    (the specific pizza from this restaurant)


A, An, The Quiz

Congratulations - you have completed A, An, The Quiz. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Your answers are highlighted below.
Question 1
We've been to _____ France three times.
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a
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an
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Question 2
_____ apartments in the city center are very small.
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Question 3
Leonardo is ______ actor.
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Question 4
Bob has _____ great idea for a new product.
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a
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Question 5
We have _____ friend who lives in Florida.
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Question 6
My father loves _____ flowers in the city park.
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Question 7
I have _____ idea!
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Question 8
Did you talk to _____ teacher?
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Question 9
Martha hates _____ vegetables.
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Question 10
They're going to see ______ show at _____ theater on Main Street.
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the / a
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a / the
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the / ---
Question 11
My new office has ______ window.
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Question 12
There's ______ problem with the equipment.
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Question 13
Jim plays _____ basketball after school.
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Question 14
Sally is _____ tallest girl in the class.
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Question 15
He has _____ interesting job.
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an
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Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results
There are 15 questions to complete.

 

Master the details of English grammar:

A, An, & The in English Espresso English

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More Espresso English Lessons:

Relative Clauses + Exercises
Future: Will / Won't - Part 1
Common English Verbs: HAVE

About The Author

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.