A or An?
A or An?
When to use the indefinite article a or an? The use of the indefinite article depends on several important things.
Rule 1.1: The indefinite article a precedes a countable noun that is singular, indefinite, and begins with a consonant sound
consonant: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z
singular: one in number
indefinite: has not been mentioned before and is new to the listener or speaker, i.e. not known
countable: a noun that can be counted
I read a book yesterday.
Ben is looking at a cat.
There’s a farm down the road.
A mouse moved my cheese.
They bought a desk for $1000.
What a story he told!
Rule 1.2: The indefinite article an precedes a countable noun that is singular, indefinite, and begins with a vowel sound
vowel: a, e, i, o, u
singular: one in number
indefinite: has not been mentioned before and is new to the listener or speaker, i.e. not known
countable: a noun that can be counted
Fred ate an apple.
I saw an elephant at the circus.
The children are going to build an igloo.
You need an umbrella when it rains.
The customer broke an egg.
An owl is an animal that hunts at night.