English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Use the correct article: a or an
Use the correct article: a or an
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the term 'article' and identify 'a' and 'an' in sentences.
Explain the rule for using 'a' before words that start with a consonant sound.
Explain the rule for using 'an' before words that start with a vowel sound.
Differentiate between a vowel letter and a vowel sound when choosing an article.
Correctly select 'a' or 'an' to precede a variety of nouns, including those with tricky starting sounds.
Apply the correct usage of 'a' and 'an' in their own written sentences.
Would you like to read an amazing story about a unicorn? 🦄 Let's discover why one word gets 'an' and the other gets 'a'!
In this lesson, we will learn about two special...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
ArticleA small word that comes before a noun to tell us if we are talking about a general thing or a specific thing. 'A' and 'an' are articles.In the sentence 'I see a cat,' the word 'a' is the article.
NounA word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.Examples of nouns are: teacher, school, pencil, and happiness.
VowelThe letters in the alphabet that are a, e, i, o, and u.The word 'apple' starts with the vowel 'a'.
ConsonantAny letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel.The word 'book' starts with the consonant 'b'.
Vowel SoundThe sound that a word begins with. Words that start with a vowel sound need 'an' before them.The word 'egg' starts with an /e/ sound. The w...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The 'An' Rule: Vowel Sounds
Use 'an' before a word that begins with a vowel sound.
If a word starts with the sound of a, e, i, o, or u, you must use 'an'. This helps the words flow together smoothly when you say them.
The 'A' Rule: Consonant Sounds
Use 'a' before a word that begins with a consonant sound.
If a word starts with the sound of any letter that is not a vowel, you must use 'a'.
The Golden Rule: Sound, Not Spelling!
The choice between 'a' and 'an' always depends on the first SOUND of the next word, not the first letter.
This is the most important rule! Some words that start with a vowel letter make a consonant sound, and some words that start with a consonant letter make a vowel...
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Challenging
Your friend says, 'We should use 'a' before 'hour' because 'h' is a consonant.' Why is your friend's reasoning incorrect?
A.The letter 'h' is always a vowel.
B.The rule is about the first sound, and the 'h' in 'hour' is silent, so the first sound is a vowel.
C.The rule is about the last letter of the word, not the first.
D.Your friend is correct; it should be 'a hour'.
Challenging
Choose the correct pair of articles to complete the sentence: 'It took ___ hour to find ___ useful website.'
A.an, an
B.a, a
C.an, a
D.a, an
Challenging
Which of the following sentences uses the articles 'a' and 'an' perfectly?
A.She is an honorable person who owns a unicorn.
B.She is a honorable person who owns an unicorn.
C.She is an honorable person who owns an unicorn.
D.She is a honorable person who owns a unicorn.
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