Monday, February 14, 2011

Definite and indefinite articles: a an the

Hi everybody! There's a new podcast that explains how to use the definite and indefinite articles (a an the) in English speech. Essentially, a and an are indefinite articles, used when you are talking about something but not a specific something: "A train" or "an ice cream cone."

You use a when the thing you are referring to starts with a consonant and an when it starts with a vowel. "A box of donuts." "An osprey."

(An osprey is a kind of bird, similar to a hawk.)

You use the when you are talking about one specific thing out of many--"the osprey that we saw in the moonlight last night" or "the box of donuts we got from Dunkin Donuts the morning of the test."

That's the general idea. As with all my podcasts, I hope you enjoy this one. If you'd like to reach me, remember that I offer a free telephone consult and a free trial lesson. Give me a call at (732) 618-4135 to get your free consult and free trial lesson today!

I've added a tip jar to this blog. If you find these podcasts at all useful, won't you show your support by bestowing some of the old gelt on the man who writes it, whose picture is on it, and who takes the time to do it when he could just as easily be wandering a beach in Bora Bora with a metal detector and a sand scoop...

Next time: Video for the Blogshack





Tip amount