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Asked by Anmol Last Modified
Answer 
As per English Grammar, by definition, 'the' is a definite article and 'a' or 'an' are indefinite articles. But not to complicate the understanding, let me explain you in a simple way.
I read 'a' new book yesterday. ('a' is used before a vowel)
I saw 'an' elephant at the zoo. ('an' is used before a consonent)
Here, the book can be any book, the elephant can be any elephant. It is not definite or specific.
Whereas, the article 'the' is used for specific nouns/words, which are particular to mention.
Pick up 'the' book. (You are specific about which book to be picked)
Lets fly in 'the' sky. (The sky is a specific noun)
Please feed the birds while I am off to school. (You are specific to which birds are to be fed)
So, 'a/an' are used in general, whereas, 'the' is used for specific. Try to read more sentences and then you will understand the different situations where to use definite articles and indefinite articles in the sentences. It is simple to learn.
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Harini C
9 years experience in various industries like banking, insurance, ecommerce & product management.
English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns.
the = definite article
a/an = indefinite article
For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.
The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the.
"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.
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definite and indefinite articles like "a" and "the" are essential in English grammar for specifying nouns.
"A" is an indefinite article. It is used before singular nouns that are not specific or previously mentioned. For example: "I saw a cat." Here, "a" implies any cat, not a particular one.
"An" is another form of the indefinite article used before words that begin with a vowel sound: "an apple," "an hour."
"The" is a definite article. It specifies a particular noun that is either previously mentioned or understood within a context. For example: "I saw the cat." Here, "the" refers to a specific cat, perhaps one that was previously discussed or is contextually understood.
Both "a" and "the" help to clarify whether you're referring to something specific or something more general.
Saraswathi Srinivasan
Class I-VIII,Nursery-Kg,Spoken English/Telugu/Hindi /Tamil tutor with 20 years experience
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