Grammar: Using Articles A and An for Primary 1

Use of Articles “A” and “An”

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. recognize and identify articles “A” and “An”;
2. explain when to use “A” and “An”.
3. identify objects that use articles “A” or “An”
4. Use “A” and “An” correctly in sentences.

What Are “A” and “An”?

“A” and “An” are small but important words that help us talk about singular naming words. A naming word is a word that names a person, animal, place, or thing. “A” and “An” tell us that we are talking about one of something, not many.

For example, when someone says “a book”, it means one book. When someone says “an apple”, it means one apple.

When to Use “A”

We use “A” before naming words that start with a consonant sound. Consonant sounds are made by letters like b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z.

Listen carefully to the beginning sound of the word. If it sounds like a consonant, use “A”.

Examples of words that use “A” include:

1. A book
2. A cat
3. A dog
4. A goat
5. A house
6. A pen
7. A table

When to Use “An”

We use “An” before naming words that start with a vowel sound. Vowel sounds are made by letters like a, e, i, o, u.

Listen carefully to the beginning sound of the word. If it sounds like a vowel, use “An”.

Examples of words that use “An” include:

1. An apple
2. An egg
3. An igloo
4. An orange
5. An umbrella
6. An ant
7. An elephant

Identifying Objects with “A” or “An”

To identify if an object uses “A” or “An”, say the name of the object out loud. Listen to the very first sound you make. If the first sound is a consonant sound, use “A”. If the first sound is a vowel sound, use “An”.

Let us look at some objects and decide if they use “A” or “An”:

1. Chair: The word “chair” starts with the ‘ch’ sound, which is a consonant sound. So, we say “a chair”.
2. Eraser: The word “eraser” starts with the ‘e’ sound, which is a vowel sound. So, we say “an eraser”.
3. Bag: The word “bag” starts with the ‘b’ sound, which is a consonant sound. So, we say “a bag”.
4. Ink: The word “ink” starts with the ‘i’ sound, which is a vowel sound. So, we say “an ink”.
5. Table: The word “table” starts with the ‘t’ sound, which is a consonant sound. So, we say “a table”.

Using “A” and “An” in Sentences

“A” and “An” help us build simple sentences about single objects. They make our sentences clear and correct.

Constructing Sentences with “A”

To make a sentence using “A”, follow these steps:

1. Think of a naming word that starts with a consonant sound, like “ball”.
2. Add “A” before the word: “a ball”.
3. Complete the sentence. For example: “This is a ball.”

More examples of sentences using “A”:

1. I have a book.
2. She saw a dog.
3. He wants a toy.
4. This is a big house.
5. My father drives a car.

Constructing Sentences with “An”

To make a sentence using “An”, follow these steps:

1. Think of a naming word that starts with a vowel sound, like “apple”.
2. Add “An” before the word: “an apple”.
3. Complete the sentence. For example: “I ate an apple.”

More examples of sentences using “An”:

1. She has an umbrella.
2. He saw an eagle.
3. This is an old car.
4. I want an orange.
5. My mother bought an egg.