Articles (the, a, and an) help say what kind of noun you are talking about. To make it easier, there are a few rules for you to follow.

Before getting to the rules, you should know some vocabulary:

• Vowels- letters A, E, I, O, U.
• Consonants- any letter that isn’t a vowel. These are letters like B, C, D, F, etc.
• Proper nouns- names of people, places or things such as David, Germany, or Samsung.
• Singular count nouns- can be counted, but are only one unit, as in key, prison, and getaway.
• Plural count nouns- countable nouns that have more than one unit (officers, dogs, and search parties).
• Non-countable nouns- cannot be counted. This is true for things like cheese, milk, and patience.

Rules

Use a or an with singular count nouns. A comes before words that start with consonants; an comes before words the begin with vowels: A little dog can make an awful lot of noise.

Use the when the noun is:

1.  unique (there’s only one)

• The moon shone over the Pacific Ocean.

2.  specific (the listener is familiar with it)

• Go to the supermarket on your way home from the bank.

3.  mentioned a second time

• I bought some ice cream. The ice cream was good.
• I bought a pen. The pen didn’t work.

4.  superlative

• The most ambitious student bothered the greatest number of teachers.

5.  a river, desert, or forest

• I’ve never paddled down the Mississippi, never felt the burning hot sand of the Sahara, and never ventured anywhere like the Amazon.

6.  a region or country that is plural*, united, a kingdom, or a republic

• The Balkans
• The Netherlands
• The Philippines
• The United Arab Emirates
• The United Kingdom
• The United States of America
• The Republic of Ireland

*When a country is officially divided, it is possible to refer to the parts together with the plus -s.

• The Koreas, North and South Korea

Avoid using articles for:

1.  general non-count nouns

• Incorrect: The water is a precious natural resource in every country.
• Correct: Water is a precious natural resource in every country.

2.  a person’s name and other singular proper nouns

• Incorrect: Fifi, the Sally’s favorite cat, was bought in a London.
• Correct: Fifi, Sally’s favorite cat, was bought in London.

*If a person is famous, you may clarify this by stating the before the name.

A: Hello, I’d like to make a reservation for Michael Jordan.
B: Wow, is this the Michael Jordan?
A: No, I’m a plumber.