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📎 A/AN (indefinite article) 

•   We use a before words that start with a consonant sound.

Examples:  a doctor, a glass, a red apple 

•   We use an before a vowel (a/e/i/o/u).

Examples:  an artist, an umbrella, an old house

 ⚠️There are some exceptions:

an hour (h is not pronounced: an hour)

a university (pronounced yuniversity)

a European country (pronounced yuropean)

 another (= an + other) is one word

Example: Would you like another biscuit?

We use a/an:

•   when we say what a thing or a person is.

Examples: Chichester is a city in England.

                  A dragonfly is an insect.

                  Ben is a very shy boy.

                  Cricket is a very popular sport in the UK.

•   for jobs, etc.

Examples: I’m a teacher.

                 ‘What does Daniel do? He’s an actor.

                 Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter.

                  Are you a student?

                 We need an accountant for our company.

 📎 THE (definite article)

We use the with …

•   singular and plural countable nouns.

Examples: the house, the windows, the cakes

•  unique things (where there is only one).

Examples: the world, the White House, the Indian Ocean, the sun.

•  superlatives

Example: Blue whales are the largest animals in the world.

•  groups of countries or countries which are plural

Examples: the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States of America, the Philippines.

•  locations

Examples: in the middle, on the left/right, in the north/south/east/west.

•  musical instruments

Example: I play the saxophone.

•   professional bodies (the police, the fire brigade, etc)

Examples: My sister is a soldier. She’s in the army.

                  Do you trust the police?

•   the radio, the Internet

Example: I listen to the radio on the Internet.

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