Articles (A, An, The) Explained for Class 1 English Grammar [2025-26]

In today’s lesson, we will discuss the articles, a, an, and the. Articles are a type of adjectives that are used before nouns or pronouns. There are two types of articles. They are definite and indefinite articles. The definite article “the” denotes the noun's identity and familiarises the reader with it. The indefinite articles, “a”, and “an” is used before a noun whose identity is unknown and that is general.  Practice questions and solved examples are given throughout the article for better understanding and concept clarity. Let’s begin the journey on this fantastic topic.

Introduction to Grammar

Articles (a, an, the)

A, An, The

• Articles ("a," "an," and "the") are called determiners or noun markers.

• The function of these articles is to specify if the noun is general or specific. 

• The articles "a" and "an" are indefinite articles. They are used with singular nouns that are countable.  The noun associated is very general and not specific.

• The article "the" is a definite article, and can be used with both singular and plural nouns. Countable and uncountable nouns are both accompanied by a definite article. It denoted the specificity of a noun.

“A” and “An”

A and An

• "A" and "an" are used when the noun is nonspecific or general. More clearly, they are accompanied by singular nouns that are countable.

• For example, I do not need a bag. In the given sentence, "bag" is a singular countable noun. It is also not specific as it could be any bag.

• I would like to have an orange. In the given sentence, "orange"  is a singular countable noun.

A

• When a noun begins with a consonant or a consonant sound, the article “a” is used.

• a bat.

• a kettle.

• a cat.

• a uniform. In this example "uniform" starts with a vowel, but it is treated like a consonant because of the sound of the first syllable which is /j/ or a “y” sound. 

• Shiksha would like to study at a university that specializes in research. In the example, "University" is a singular countable noun. It begins with a vowel, but is treated like a consonant because of the sound of the first syllable which is  /j/ or “y.” In this sentence, the noun used is also general(as it could be any university with this specialization,  and doesn’t denote a specific one).

An

• When a noun begins with a vowel or a vowel sound, “an” is used.

• an elephant

• an American

• an MBA. "MBA" starts with a consonant, but as the first sound is /Ɛ/ or a short “e” sound, "an" is used instead of "a"

The

The

• "The" applies to the specificity of a singular or plural noun, both countable and uncountable.

• The novel that I read last month was interesting. In this sentence, "novel" is a singular and countable noun. It is also specific because of the phrase “that I read last month.” The speaker and the listener know which book is being discussed.

• The activities assigned for this class are engaging. In this sentence, "activities" is a plural, countable noun. It is also specific because of the phrase “for this class.” The speaker and listener know which activities are being referred to.

• The advice Sheela gave me was eye-opening. In this sentence, "advice" is an uncountable noun as it is abstract. It is specific, because of the expression “Sheela gave me.”

Difficult Words With  Meanings

Summary

Special modifiers called articles are used before nouns or noun phrases. They aid in defining the meaning of the noun in your phrase, much like other adjectives. The a and its form an, used before a word that starts with a vowel sound, are the only two articles in the English language for unidentified nouns and ‘the’ is the definite article for the specific nouns. We learned definite and indefinite articles. 

Practice Questions

Fill in the following blanks with the suitable article:

1. I do not want ___ rat in my house.

2. She posted ___ postcard from Rome.

3. I have ___ dog.

4. She needs ___ pen.

5. Geeta needs ___ table in her apartment.

6. She applied to ___ university of her dreams.

Answers:

1. I do not want a rat in my house.

2. She posted a postcard from Rome.

3. I have a dog.

4. She needs a pen.

5. Geeta needs a table in her apartment.

6. She applied to the university of her dreams.

Benefits of Learning Articles in Class 1 English Grammar

Articles are modifiers that come before nouns or noun phrases. By using articles, the meaning of the noun in a sentence becomes clear.

• Articles form an essential part of the English language and they provide information about the nouns they precede.

• Many students struggle with the correct usage of a, an, and the articles. Hence, it becomes mandatory to learn articles as a separate module to solidify knowledge of English grammar.

• Articles tell us if we are talking about a specific thing or in general and they can modify the meaning of a sentence by the way the articles are placed.

Examples of Use of Articles for Class 1

Some of the ways that practice exercises in Class 1 English Chapter 5 are formed are illustrated below:

• Use of “a” and “an” before naming words:

• —---- lion

• —--- doctor

• —---- engine

• Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the:

• I see —--- lion

• This is —-- apple

• —-- moon is shining

Facts About Article for Class 1

• An article is a word used to identify noun or noun phrases (which precedes the noun or noun phrase) as being general or specific.

• Articles are of two different types:

• Indefinite articles - "a" and "an" are indefinite articles that refer to something in general such as "I ate an apple", "The girls are sitting on a bench", etc. 

• Definite article - "The" is the definite article that refers to something specific, for example "The moon is shining", "The Red Fort is in New Delhi", etc. You can use definite articles with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns.

• Some tricks to use the correct article for a given noun are:

• Check if the noun is singular, plural, countable, uncountable, definite, or indefinite. A countable noun will have more than one instance such as "exam" since you can have more than one exam held at the end of a year. But a word like "concentration" is not countable as you can not quantify concentration in 1s, 2s, or any other number. 

• Some words can both be countable or uncountable nouns depending on the way they are used in a sentence.

• You can identify a definite noun by clarifying if you are referring to a specific instance or instances of an entity. For example, in the below sentence, the word "fear" is preceded by both an indefinite and definite article.

“Before I started school I had a fear of exams, but I fought the fear later”

In the first part of the sentence, the writer talks about a former fear, and in the later part, s/he is referring to that specific fear.

• Use the following table to choose the correct article:

Important Topics of Class 1 English Chapter 5

You will learn the following in the use of article for Class 1:

• What are articles and how to use a, an, and the in sentences?

• Fill in the blanks with the correct article.

• Identifying the correct article for naming words.

• Understanding vowels and consonants and how to use a and an for them.

Class 1 English Chapter 5 Free PDF Download

• You can download the free pdf of all exercises and explanations of articles from Vedantu’s website.

• Once you download the pdf, you can access it for a quick revision from anywhere.

• The pdf content will help you understand what articles are and their usage in a clear and concise manner.

• You could also take a printout of the pdf so that it is easy for revisions just before the exam.

• You will find many exercises like filling in the blanks, matching the correct articles with nouns, etc. in the pdf which will prepare you to ace your exam.

The subject matter experts at Vedantu have provided a complete solution of articles for Class 1 with answers which cater to the young minds of Class 1 and make it easy for them to understand the concepts smoothly.