‘A’ and ‘an,’ indefinite articles

What are indefinite articles?

Nouns can be known and unknown. For example, a relationship with a new pet can change an animal, like “a dog” into “the family dog.” Before the dog becomes the family’s pet, we can use indefinite articles to describe the dog.

Indefinite articles are adjectives used before a noun if the noun’s identity is unknown. The two indefinite articles are:

• “A”: This indefinite article is used before a singular noun with a consonant. For example, “A lawyer delivered the opening statement to the court.”
• “An”: This indefinite article is used before a singular noun with a vowel. For example, “An alibi may help prove the defendant is innocent.”

In contrast, the definite article, “the,” is used when the identity of a singular noun is known. “The opening statement” and “the defendant” identities are definite articles within the previous examples.

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To use articles correctly, it’s important to know if you can count a noun. Countable nouns can use definite and indefinite articles. Concrete nouns, collective nouns, and some proper nouns may be countable.

For example, “jurors” is a countable noun. You can quantify the number of individuals on a jury or count the jurors in a courtroom. It’s quantifiable.

Uncountable nouns, however, can never use definite articles. Uncountable nouns are primarily abstract nouns, and some are concrete nouns. Freedom, for example, isn’t a quantifiable noun. So, “a freedom” is grammatically incorrect. Instead, you should use a definitive article. Learn more about countable and uncountable nouns.

Indefinite article rules

Outside of countable nouns and identity, what are other indefinite rules? “A” and “an” rules include:

Discussing someone’s profession

When discussing someone’s profession, you should use indefinite articles. Include “an” or “a” before the noun to reference someone’s profession correctly. Here are some examples:

• My friend says he is a veterinarian.
• I knew he was a cop!
• Yes, she can take your case. She is an attorney.

There is an exception to this rule. If you reference someone by their profession instead of their name or personal pronoun, you can use a definite article. For example:

• I saw a doctor yesterday. The doctor told me to rest for a couple of days.
• An esthetician gave me a skin facial. The esthetician asked for my skincare routine.

Mentioning something for the first time

Every noun deserves a proper debut. When a noun hasn’t been mentioned before, writers use indefinite articles. After they’ve been mentioned, “a” or “an” is replaced with the definite article “the.” Examples of this rule look like:

• I met a lawyer at a restaurant. The lawyer offered to represent me.
• A waiter came to take our order. The waiter recommended the pad see ew.
• Our meal contained an ingredient I am allergic to. The ingredient was peanut oil.

Indefinite and definite articles can be tricky to use. The most important thing to keep in mind is whether the noun is identifiable and countable. If so, you can use an indefinite article. If you need help with more writing rules, learn more writing tips.