Page 42 - Basic English Usage

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Which article do you use with a noun ‘X’?

we ae iE

Does the hearer know
YES exactly which X or X's
we are talking about?

NO

is X a countable noun? NO

YES

Is X aplural noun? H YES
NO

[THE x or x's} X or X’s
[AWANX| [SOME XorX’s| | {no article)

For the difference between X and some X, see 316.
For.exceptions, see 45.

44 articles: a and an; pronunciation of the

We do not usually pronounce /e/ before a vowel (a, @, i, 0, u). So before
a vowel, the article a (/a/) changes to an, and the changes its
pronunciation from /da/ to /di:/, Compare:
arabbit an elephant the sea /da'si:/ the air /di: ‘ea/

—
We use an and the /di:/ before a vowel sound a pronounced vowel —
even if it is written as a consonant.
an hour /an‘ave/ — the hour /di: ‘aue/
(the Hin hour is not pronounced)
an MP fanem'pi:/ — the MP /di: em’pi:/
(the name of the letter Vis pronounced /em/}
We use aand the /da/ before a consonant sound, even if it is written as
a vowel.
a university /a ju:ni'v3:sati/ the university /éa ju:nt'v3:sati/
a one-pound note