The correct use of articles (a, an, the & zero) can be confusing if you are not familiar with them. Before reading the rules, can you think of when to use each article?
Which one do I use?
Take a look at the explanations below which outline the correct use of the a, an, the & zero article.
| Article | SINGULAR NOUN | PLURAL NOUN | UNCOUNTABLE NOUN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite (non-specific): talking about things in general | a/an | no article | no article |
| Definite (specific): talking about particular things | the | the | the |
A/An
When you are introducing something new, or something that the reader or listener is not aware of, use a/an with singular nouns (e.g. The lecturer handed us a new assignment question).
- A is used before a noun (or noun phrase) that begins with a consonant sound (e.g. a literature review).
- An is used before a noun (or noun phrase) that begins with a vowel sound (e.g. an assignment).
The
Use the to indicate that the following noun is something that the reader or listener is already aware of, either from earlier in the text or conversation.
Examples:
- Definite singular nouns: The most popular smartphone in Australia is the iPhone, which accounts for 36.5% of the smartphone market share.
- Definite uncountable noun: The amount of information freely available on the Internet seems to be infinite.
Articles and place names
Most place names do not require the definite article, except when there is an adjective or 'of' in the name, or a plural noun in the name.
Example:
Although Apple is based in The United States of America, most of its products are manufactured in The People’s Republic of China. Apple products are widely popular in many Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Indonesia.
'Zero' Article (no article)
Leave out articles before plural and uncountable nouns when you are referring to things 'in general'.
Examples:
- Indefinite plural noun: As of 2024, 79.6 per cent of the Australian population are using smartphones.
- Indefinite uncountable noun: Increasingly, smartphones have replaced computers when it comes to accessing information from the Internet.