Articles can be one of the most difficult things in English grammar for foreign language learners.  They are so simple and come naturally to native speakers but can often be a nightmare for people trying to learn English.  Some good advice about trying to learn when to use them is to pay attention to where they are used while reading and also while watching movies and/or listening to people talk.  Movies are easier because you can put on the subtitles and actually see, as well as hear, them.

English grammar - A/An - indefinite article

Let's start with the basics of a/an and the.  "A/an" are used when first introducing something.  For example, "I saw a car."  This car is new to us, so we don't know anything about it.  After it's been introduced to us, we can start using "the" to talk about it.  "The car was red."  We know that the car is still the same car because it is referred to as "the car," not "a car."

Another use for "a/an" is when referring to one of many things.  A good example of this is "a slice of bread."  There are many slices of bread in a loaf, but we are just talking about one.  "I was hungry so I cut a slice of bread and ate it."

"My daughter really wants a cat for her birthday." This refers to any cat. We don't know which cat because we haven't found the cat yet.

When to use a or an

When to use a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word.

English grammar - The - definite article

This brings us to "the."  "The" is basically used in two different ways.  Firstly, it's used when you already know about something, such as "the car" mentioned above.

The next way it's used is if there is only one of whatever we are talking about, or a main one.  A good example of this is your dog.  If your family has one dog, then it is "the dog."  When you talk about "the dog," everyone will know you are talking about your family's dog.  Here are some more examples:

Now here are a few more usage sentences to help you out: