Determiners Questions
The articles 'a' and 'an' are used as indefinite articles in English. They are used before singular countable nouns to indicate that the noun is not specific or known to the listener.
The article 'a' is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, while 'an' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. This is based on the sound of the word, not necessarily the actual letter it starts with.
For example, we say "a cat" because the word 'cat' starts with a consonant sound (/k/), and we say "an apple" because the word 'apple' starts with a vowel sound (/æ/).
It is important to note that 'a' and 'an' are used only with singular countable nouns, not with plural nouns or uncountable nouns. Additionally, they are not used with proper nouns or when referring to something specific or known to the listener.