Grammar and Usage

Lesson 12 (Level 1)

Article & Indefinite Article

تدریس صوتی استاد

What is an article?

Articles are used to indicate that we refer to, whether it is known to the hearer or unknow.

For example: if something is being seen, or already talked about, that is something definite (known) and if something is mentioned for the first time, that is something indefinite (unknown).

So, to indicate that something is known to the hearer we use definite article (the) and likewise to show that something is unknown we use indefinite articles (a, an) before the noun we talk about.

Example:

this is a book.(unknown: because the hearer doesn't know what type of book or whose book is it.)

I have an idea. (unknown: likewise It's not known to the hearer what the idea is about.)

I give the book to Ali. (known: so the books is being talked about before and the hearer knows what book.)

the sun is too far away. (known: surely everyone knows the sun. so the sun is known to the hearer.)

Indefinite Articles

We use indefinite article to tell the hearer that what we talk about is not known to him.

Example:

There is a cat in the garden.

She works in an organization.

please give me a pen.

They work in a shop.

The Indefinite Articles Are:

a - (used before singular and countable nouns that start with Consonant)

an (used before singular and countable nouns that start with Vowel)

English Vowels are: a - e - i - o - u; and the rest of letters are consonant.

Example:

This is an orange.

I have an iPhone.

She works in a restaurant.

They have a large house.

Note: indefinite articles are also used to show that something belongs to a particular type or class.

Example:
this is an English book.(what type of book?)
I have a plastic ball. (what type of material?)
Do you wear a uniform at school?. (what type of clothes?)

Definite Article (In Next Lessons)

I have a book and a pen.
I am just a teacher and not an especial person.
these are apples and this is an orange

she is an English student but he is a physics student
that is an airplane and this is a bus
Farid is an afghan but Haroon is an iranian

Grammar Exercise

Fill in the blanks with proper Indefinite articles

Ahmad is English teacher. he teaches English at course.
Farid is afghan and Raja is indian.
Hosna works in bank . she is cashier.
they have black car and red motorcycle.
Hamid and Saeed work in shop (فروشگاه). Hamid is observer and Saeed is sales person.
my friend has big house, He is importer.
my father is Engineer. he builds houses.
my brother works for TV Channel . He is film maker.
this is English book but that is Dari book.