冠词A, an,和the，还有一些代词，表示后面会出现一个名词。例如：
- a thinker
- an apple
- the backhoe
- my house
- our car
如果跟在冠词后面的名词以辅音开头，要用冠词a：
- a basketball
- a crustacean
但是，如果跟在冠词后面的名词或其修饰词以元音开头，要用冠词an：
- an elephant
- an old automobile
A或an还可以表示“任何一个”或“许多中的一个 ”。有些东西是不可数的，在表示食品和饮料(bacon, milk)的词前不能用a或an，除非加了量词(a kilo of bacon, a quart of milk) 。抽象名词(anger, beauty, love, poverty, employment)前通常不能用a或an。
The被称为定冠词，因为它指的是某一特定的人，事或想法。例如：
Courses that I want to take include life drawing and sculpture. The sculpture class is taught by a world-class sculptor.
A, an, and the are articles, which along with pronouns, are words that signal the approach of a noun. For example:
- a thinker
- an apple
- the backhoe
- my house
- our car
If the noun that follows the article begins with a consonant sound, you should use the article a:
- a basketball
- a crustacean
On the other hand, if the noun or its modifier begins with a vowel sound, you should use the article an:
- an elephant
- an old automobile
A or an can mean "any one" or "one among many." Certain things are not counted. Words that refer to food and drink (bacon, milk) do not take a or an unless a quantity is indicated (a kilo of bacon, a quart of milk). Abstract nouns (anger, beauty, love, poverty, employment) usually do not take a or an before them.
The is called a definite article because it tells which specific person, thing, or idea is being referred to. For example:
Courses that I want to take include life drawing and sculpture. The sculpture class is taught by a world-class sculptor.