a/an (the indefinite article)
1 a/an (the indefinite article)
The form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a vowel with a consonant sound:
a man a hat a university a European
a one-way street
The form an is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or words beginning with a mute h:
an apple an island an uncle
an egg an onion an hour
or individual letters spoken with a vowel sound:
an L-plate an MP an SOS an ‘x’ a/an is the same for all genders:
a man a woman an actor an actress a table
2 Use of a/an.
a/an is used:
A. Before a singular noun which is countable (i.e. of which there is more than one) when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing:
/ need a visa. They live in a flat. He bought an ice-cream.
B. Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of things:
A car must be insured = All cars/Any car must be insured.
A child needs love = All children need/Any child needs love.
C. With a noun complement. This includes names of professions:
It was an earthquake. She’ll be a dancer. He is an actor.
D. In certain expressions of quantity: a lot of a couple
a great many a dozen (but one dozen is also possible)
a great deal of
E. With certain numbers
a hundred a thousand (See 349 ) Before half when half follows a whole number
ll/2 kilos = one and a half kilos or a kilo and a half But 1/2 kg = half a kilo (no a before half), though a + half + noun is sometimes possible
a half holiday a half portion a half share With 1/3 1/4, 1/5 etc a is usual a third, a quarter etc , but one is also possible (See 350 )
F. In expressions of price, speed, ratio etc
5p a kilo £1 a metre sixty kilometres an hour
lOp a dozen four times a day (Here a/an = per )
G. In exclamations before singular, countable nouns
Such a long queue’ What a pretty girl’ But Such long queues’ What pretty girls’ (Plural nouns, so no article See 3 )
H. a can be placed before Mr/Mrs/Miss + surname
a Mr Smith a Mrs Smith a Miss Smith
a Mr Smith means ‘a man called Smith’ and implies that he is a stranger to the speaker Mr Smith, without a, implies that the speaker knows Mr Smith or knows of his existence
(For the difference between a/an and one, see 4 For a few and a little, see 5 )
3 Omission of a/an
a/an is omitted:
A. Before plural nouns
a/an has no plural form. So the plural of a dog is dogs, and of
an egg is eggs
B. Before uncountable nouns
C. Before names of meals, except when these are preceded by an adjective
We have breakfast at eight
He gave us a good breakfast
The article is also used when it is a special meal given to celebrate something or in someone’s honour
I was invited to dinner (at their house, in the ordinary way) but
I was invited to a dinner given to welcome the new ambassador
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