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The
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A/An
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A versus An
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The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns;
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a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns.
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If the first letter makes a vowel-type sound, you use "an"; if the first letter would make a consonant-type sound, you use "a." However, you may follow these basic rules when deciding to use "a" or "an," remembering that there are some exceptions to the rules.
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Let's read the book,"
Here's another way to explain it:
The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group.
For example,
"I just saw the most popular movie of the year."
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"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For example:
"My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas."
"Somebody call a policeman!"
"When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!"
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“A" goes before words that begin with consonants.
a cat
a dog
a purple onion
a buffalo
a big apple
"An" goes before words that begin with vowels:
an apricot
an egg
an Indian
an orbit
an uprising
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Exceptions
Using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word.
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Exceptions
Use "an" before unsounded "h." Because the "h" hasn't any phonetic representation and has no audible sound, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, "an" is used.
an honorable peace
an honest error
When "u" makes the same sound as the "y" in "you," or "o" makes the same sound as "w" in "won," then a is used. The word-initial "y" sound ("unicorn") is actually a glide [j] phonetically, which has consonantal properties; consequently, it is treated as a consonant, requiring "a."
a union
a united front
a unicorn
a used napkin
a U.S. ship
a one-legged man
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Information taken from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/
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