When to Not Use A or An?

Let's face it, if you want to be a boss in English, it's necessary to learn to grammar rules of the written and spoken language. Having good grammar can change the game for your language abilities. As an English language learner, I know what you're probably thinking. That English grammar is so very complex. But allow me to clear all of that confusion.

Some of us were blessed with being able to speak English as a native language. However, just because it's your second or even third language doesn't make it impossible to learn. Just about every language out there has its own grammar quirks. It's easy to overcome them if you have enough determination and resources at your disposal.

The English language has odd grammar rules. We are going to focus on the one that seems to throw everyone off. Even native speakers sometimes. This part focuses on the rules of article usage with nouns. In English, we split nouns into two groups which are the definite and indefinite articles. You use them depending on if you are talking about something specific or not. Still, confused? Keep reading because in the following sections, I will break down the type of articles and when to not use a or an.

The Definite Articles

Definite articles are used when you are talking about a specific thing. Take a look at the examples below:

* Are you going to the party this weekend?

Notice how in this example we are asking about a specific party at a specific time.

* Please give me the red apples.

Again, even though this is in the form of a command, we are still referring to a specific object: red apples.

The Indefinite Articles

So, here is where things get messy in terms of article usage. As you saw in the previous example, you only need one type with referring to specific objects. However, if you are talking about just any old noun, you need to keep in mind the word sound and the first letter of the noun. If the noun begins with a vowel, use an. If the noun starts with a consonant, use a.

* I need a book to read.

The word "book" begins with a consonant, therefore we use a.

* Can I have an orange for breakfast?

See here, orange begins with a vowel, therefore we use an.

When to Not Use A or An

If this feels like an information overload, take your time with it. This is one of the trickiest rules in the history of English grammar. The basic formula for all of this is to remember if the nouns are specific or not. A more accurate way of putting this is if the noun is known, don't use it. Try this example for yourself:

* Can you give me ___ green cup on the counter?

I'll give you a second to analyze this command. The speaker is asking for a cup, which happens to be green and on the counter. So, do you think this is a specific object or not? If you said yes, congratulations! For this example, we wouldn't use "a" because it is a green cup. Now, you are well on your way to mastering articles in the English language.