Volume 1 - Lesson 4: Articles (A, An, The)

📖 What Are Articles?

Articles are small words that come before nouns. They help us understand whether we're talking about something specific or general.

Korean Note: 한국어에는 관사가 없지만, 영어에서는 매우 중요합니다. (Korean doesn't have articles, but they're very important in English.)

Three English Articles:

A - indefinite article
An - indefinite article
The - definite article

Quick Examples:

• I saw a dog. (any dog)

• I saw an elephant. (any elephant)

• I saw the dog from next door. (specific dog)

🔤 A vs An (Indefinite Articles)

Use "A" before:

Words that begin with consonant sounds

• a book

• a car

• a university (sounds like "you-ni-ver-si-ty")

• a one-way street (sounds like "wun")

Use "An" before:

Words that begin with vowel sounds

• an apple

• an elephant

• an hour (silent 'h', sounds like "our")

• an honest person (silent 'h')

Remember: It's about the SOUND, not the letter! 소리가 중요해요, 글자가 아니라!

🎯 The (Definite Article)

Use "The" when:

Talking about something specific that both speaker and listener know
There's only one of something
You mentioned it before
It's unique or famous

Examples:

• Please close the door. (specific door we both know)

• The sun is bright today. (only one sun)

• I bought a car. The car is red. (mentioned before)

• The Eiffel Tower is in Paris. (unique/famous)

Think: "그" or "그것" in Korean = "the" in English (when pointing to something specific)

📋 Important Usage Rules

When NOT to use articles:

With plural countable nouns (general)
With uncountable nouns (general)
With proper names
With meals, languages, sports

• ~~The~~ Dogs are friendly. → Dogs are friendly.

• ~~The~~ Water is essential. → Water is essential.

• ~~The~~ John is my friend. → John is my friend.

Special Cases:

Countries: Usually no article, except with "United" or plural names

• Korea, Japan, France (no article)

• The United States, The Philippines

💡 Practice Examples

Situation Practice:

At a restaurant:

• "I'd like a hamburger, please." (any hamburger)

• "Could I have the menu?" (specific menu at this restaurant)

• "Is there an ATM nearby?" (any ATM)

Telling a story:

• "Yesterday, I saw a strange man." (first mention)

• "The man was wearing a red hat." (second mention + new item)

• "The hat was very big!" (mentioned the hat)

⚠️ Common Errors to Avoid

❌ Wrong → ✅ Correct

❌ I am a student of the English.

✅ I am a student of English.

❌ I like a music.

✅ I like music.

❌ She plays a piano.

✅ She plays the piano.

❌ I have a headache in a head.

✅ I have a headache in my head.

Tip: Read English articles and pay attention to articles. 영어 글을 읽을 때 관사에 주의를 기울이세요!

Articles: A, An, The

📋 Study Guide