Help with parts of speech-- Articles?

Question

What's the difference between the articles "a", "an" and "the"? Under which parts of speech can they conceivably fall?
I am having trouble with these questions-- help??

Answer 1

A is used with any noun that begins with a consonant

e.g. A car, A bus, A window

"An" is used with any noun that begins with a vowell

e.g. An apple, An egg, An ostrich

"The" is used to refer to a SPECiFIC object.

e.g Pass me THE book, What colour is THE bus?

It is used with the "definite article" meaning an object that definitely exists, a specific object.

A is for the "indefinite article", an object that could exist, not a specific object.

Happy Holidays!

Answer 2

There are only three articles in English: a, an and the.

There are two types of articles indefinite a and an or definite the.

Their proper use is complex especially when you get into the advanced use of English. Quite often you have to work by what sounds right, which can be frustrating for a learner.

We usually use no article to talk about things in general - the doesn't mean all.

For example:
"Books are expensive." = (All books are expensive.)
"The books are expensive." = (Not all books are expensive, just the ones I'm talking about.)

Answer 3

Some grammarians consider the articles adjectives; others consider articles a part of speech in their own right.

"A" and "an" are indefinite articles. "A" book or "an" apple is any old book or apple. "The" is a definite article. "The" book or "the" apple is a specific one or the only one--maybe one that has already been mentioned.

Answer 4

A/an refers to just any noun. A book. A ball. An essay.

The is specific. THE book refers to one very specific book.

"Pass me a ball" means pass me any old ball. "Pass me the ball" means I want a specific ball or the only ball available.