ARTICLES
If you are unsure whether to use a, an or the, consider the following:
Use of a or an
Usage
1. before a singular countable noun
Example:
She is a member of our Finance Committee.
2. when a person/thing is mentioned for the first time
Example:
An in-house seminar will be held next Tuesday. Three representatives from the Human Resources Association will speak at the seminar.
3. in exclamations
Example:
What a memorable event it was!
4. before words which begin with a vowel sound
Example:
an interesting idea
an overloaded truck
an honest officer
Use of the
Usage
1. before nouns of which there is only one
Example:
The police force in HK is one of the most efficient forces in the world.
2. when a person/thing is mentioned for the second/third time and so on
Example:
A proposal was discussed in the annual general meeting. Three members voted against the proposal.
3. before superlative, adjectives, adverbs and ordinal numbers
Example:
Mr Chan is the most experienced clerical officer in our unit.
4. before some adjectives used as nouns
Example:
This policy aimed to help the mentally-handicapped / the unemployed / the blind.
5. before plural place names or names which include the words Republic, Kingdom or States
Example:
the New Territories
the United Kingdom
the Philippines
6. before names of ships
Example:
the Queen Mary
7. in some time phrases in the year the war began
Example:
in the morning
in the afternoon
in the middle of the night
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