Articles Educational Resources

Nope, not articles in a newspaper...articles in language are adjectives that give additional information about a noun. The easy part? There are only three: the, a, and an. The hard part? Figuring out which one to use. We’ve got you covered with our materials on articles. Try our worksheets, activities, and games that make learning grammar rules entertaining and easy.

There are many parts of speech in the English language. Students are quick to understand the concepts of nouns and verbs. The subject and the action are clear. Most adjectives are easy to pick up on as well. There are certain types of adjectives, however, which are often overlooked: the articles.
There are two articles: a and the.
As with any adjective, an article is used to modify a noun. The purpose of the article is very specific, however. Depending on which article is used will define if the noun it is attached to is specific or unspecific. Working with students using the resources provided by Education.com above could help them gain comfort with these different articles.
Definite Article: The
The word the is known as the definite article. When attached to a noun, the word the tells us that this is a specific instance of that noun. The definite article can be used with uncountable nouns.
Indefinite Article: A
The word a is known as the indefinite article. When attached to a noun this word tells us that we are not speaking of a specific instance, but rather any instance of this noun. There are actually two forms of the indefinite article: a and an. The majority of the time, when the word following the article has the beginning sounds of a vowel, students should be instructed to use the an article. Otherwise, the a should be used.
The indefinite article should not be used with uncountable nouns. If the noun is modified in a way that gives it an amount (some, for example), the indefinite article can be used.