ESL/Articles practice and pronunciation

Articles

• a, an, the
• articles indicate if something is general or "indefinite" (a/an) or specific or "definite" (the)

indefinite article

= a, an

indicates something in general, a category, or makes a non-specific reference to something

• i.e. "a tree" indicates that the "tree" is one of any trees, or refers to a tree in general
  • similar to "any tree" or "some tree"

a versus an

• a precedes a consonant or a hard sound
  • a car
  • a house (hard "h")
  • a truck
  • may include the vowel "U" if the "U-sound" of the word is pronounced like a "Y"
    • a university
    • a unit
      • = a yoo-nit
      • the reason is that to make the "an" + "yoo" sound ("an unit") requires making two distinct sounds with the mouth and tongue
        • a yoo-nit
        • whereas it is easier to say the "a" + "yoo" sound as it can be spoken as a single sound, "ayoo" ----
• an precedes a vowel or a soft consonant sound for "H" or "U"
  • an hour (soft "h")
  • an umbrella

definite article

indicates a particular or specific thing

• i.e., "the tree" indicates a certain, or particular tree
  • similar to "that tree"