{"id":149,"date":"2024-01-31T17:44:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T22:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/grammarbasics\/?post_type=chapter&p=149"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:54:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:54:39","slug":"bonus-articles","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/grammarbasics\/chapter\/bonus-articles\/","title":{"raw":"Bonus Part of Speech: Articles","rendered":"Bonus Part of Speech: Articles"},"content":{"raw":"There's one last group of words we should discuss, called articles. They have a status kind of like the planet\/non-planet Pluto: some people include articles in the list of parts of speech, and some people don't.\r\n\r\nI think it's a good idea to know about articles so you don't get confused trying to fit them into one of the other categories.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThere are three articles -- a, an, <\/em>and the<\/em> -- and their job is to tell readers whether a singular noun is specific or general\/unspecific. We use the<\/em> to mark nouns as specific, and\u00a0a\/an<\/em> to mark them as unspecific.\r\n\r\n \r\n

I want to buy a<\/span> house before I retire.<\/em><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn this sentence, the article\u00a0a <\/em>tells readers that\u00a0I'm expressing a wish to buy any house, not a specific one.\r\n\r\n \r\n

\"A\" versus \"An\"<\/h4>\r\nIn the previous example, we used the article\u00a0a<\/em> because the object we were describing (a house) was unspecific (ie., we weren't referring to a specific house). But we also used the article\u00a0a<\/em> because the word\u00a0house<\/em> starts with a [pb_glossary id=\"485\"]consonant[\/pb_glossary] sound.\r\n\r\nContrast that with the sentence below.\r\n\r\n \r\n

An<\/span> oyster tastes better when it's fresh.<\/em><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nHere I use an\u00a0<\/em>instead of\u00a0a<\/em>\u00a0because the next word -- oyster --<\/em> starts with a vowel sound<\/span>.\r\n\r\nNotice that I said a vowel\u00a0sound<\/em> and not a vowel. That's because sometimes a vowel doesn't make a vowel sound. For instance, a word like unicorn<\/em> begins with the sound associated with the consonant y.\u00a0<\/em>Words like\u00a0unicorn<\/em>\u00a0should be paired with the a<\/em> rather than\u00a0an.<\/em>\r\n

I just saw an unicorn<\/span><\/del>\u00a0 - yuck, that sounds wrong!<\/p>\r\n

I just saw a<\/span> unicorn<\/span> - ahh, that sounds much better!<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nThe opposite effect happens in nouns beginning with silent letters, eg., a word like\u00a0honour<\/em>, which begins with a vowel sound. Because it starts with a vowel\u00a0sound<\/span>, you should use the article\u00a0an<\/em> in front of it.\r\n

It was a honour<\/del><\/span> to meet you -- yuck, that sounds wrong for sure!<\/p>\r\n

It was an<\/span><\/span> honour<\/span> to meet you -- nice, that phrase sounds correct indeed!<\/p>\r\n \r\n

But what if you're referring to a specific thing?<\/h4>\r\nWhen you're referring to a specific thing, use the article\u00a0the<\/em>, as in the following sentence.\r\n\r\n \r\n

I want to buy the<\/span> house next door.<\/em><\/p>\r\nHere, the article the<\/em> indicates that I want to buy a specific house: the one next door.\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n

PRACTICE: Add the correct article<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"31\"]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n
\r\n

Count vs. Noncount Nouns<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\nCount nouns<\/em> are things that you can count one by one. For example, if you see some rocks lying on a table, you could count them and know how many rocks there are.\r\n\r\nWith count nouns, you can use any article.\r\n

It would be correct to say, \"I see a\u00a0<\/em>rock.\"<\/p>\r\n

It would also be correct to say, \"I see the<\/em> rock.\" (if you were referring to a specific rock)<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nOther nouns can't be counted as discrete units. For example, if I saw a puddle of water on the same table, I can't really count the number of waters in the puddle. Those nouns are called noncount nouns<\/em>.\r\n\r\nWith noncount nouns, you can still use the article\u00a0the<\/em>, but you should not<\/span> use a\/an.<\/em>\r\n

It would still be correct to say, \"I see the<\/em> water.\" (if referring to some specific body of water)<\/p>\r\n

But it would be incorrect to say, \"I see a<\/em> water.\"<\/p>\r\n

Instead, you would leave out the article and say, \"I see water.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n ","rendered":"

There’s one last group of words we should discuss, called articles. They have a status kind of like the planet\/non-planet Pluto: some people include articles in the list of parts of speech, and some people don’t.<\/p>\n

I think it’s a good idea to know about articles so you don’t get confused trying to fit them into one of the other categories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are three articles — a, an, <\/em>and the<\/em> — and their job is to tell readers whether a singular noun is specific or general\/unspecific. We use the<\/em> to mark nouns as specific, and\u00a0a\/an<\/em> to mark them as unspecific.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I want to buy a<\/span> house before I retire.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In this sentence, the article\u00a0a <\/em>tells readers that\u00a0I’m expressing a wish to buy any house, not a specific one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“A” versus “An”<\/h4>\n

In the previous example, we used the article\u00a0a<\/em> because the object we were describing (a house) was unspecific (ie., we weren’t referring to a specific house). But we also used the article\u00a0a<\/em> because the word\u00a0house<\/em> starts with a consonant<\/a> sound.<\/p>\n

Contrast that with the sentence below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An<\/span> oyster tastes better when it’s fresh.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here I use an\u00a0<\/em>instead of\u00a0a<\/em>\u00a0because the next word — oyster —<\/em> starts with a vowel sound<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Notice that I said a vowel\u00a0sound<\/em> and not a vowel. That’s because sometimes a vowel doesn’t make a vowel sound. For instance, a word like unicorn<\/em> begins with the sound associated with the consonant y.\u00a0<\/em>Words like\u00a0unicorn<\/em>\u00a0should be paired with the a<\/em> rather than\u00a0an.<\/em><\/p>\n

I just saw an unicorn<\/span><\/del>\u00a0 – yuck, that sounds wrong!<\/p>\n

I just saw a<\/span> unicorn<\/span> – ahh, that sounds much better!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The opposite effect happens in nouns beginning with silent letters, eg., a word like\u00a0honour<\/em>, which begins with a vowel sound. Because it starts with a vowel\u00a0sound<\/span>, you should use the article\u00a0an<\/em> in front of it.<\/p>\n

It was a honour<\/del><\/span> to meet you — yuck, that sounds wrong for sure!<\/p>\n

It was an<\/span><\/span> honour<\/span> to meet you — nice, that phrase sounds correct indeed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But what if you’re referring to a specific thing?<\/h4>\n

When you’re referring to a specific thing, use the article\u00a0the<\/em>, as in the following sentence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I want to buy the<\/span> house next door.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here, the article the<\/em> indicates that I want to buy a specific house: the one next door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

PRACTICE: Add the correct article<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

\n
\n