Grammar Rule

Examples

I saw a lion and an elephant at the zoo.
The lion was scary.

Remember!

We use 'a' before a word that starts with a consonant. We use 'an' before a word that starts with a vowel.
I saw a lion and an elephant.

Be careful!

First we use ‘a’ or ‘an’. After we use ‘the’.
She had a cheese sandwich and crisps for lunch. She didn’t like the sandwich.
We stayed in an old hotel. There was a swimming pool in the hotel.

We say... We don’t say...

I went to Japan. (NOT I went to the Japan.)
He played tennis with Ben. (NOT He played tennis with the Ben.)
They had breakfast at 9 o’clock. (NOT They had a breakfast at 9 o'clock.)
(Some words don't have an article. We don't usually use articles for countries, meals or people.)