Unit 64

a/an ...

Grammar
Examples
Exercises

A. a ... = one thing or person:

He's got a camera.
She's waiting for a taxi.
It's a beautiful day.
  • Alice works in a bank. (not 'in bank')
  • Can I ask a question? (not 'ask question')
  • I haven't got a car.
  • There's a woman at the bus stop.

B. an (not 'a') before a/e/i/o/u:

  • Do you want an apple or a banana?
  • I'm going to buy a hat and an umbrella.
  • There was an interesting programme on TV last night.

also an hour (h is not pronounced: an (h)our)
but a university (pronounced juniversity)
a European country (pronounced juropean)

another (= an + other) is one word:

  • Can I have another cup of tea?

C. We use a/an ... when we say what a thing or a person is. For example:

  • The sun is a star.
  • Football is a game.
  • Dallas is a city in Texas.
  • A mouse is an animal. It's a small animal.
  • Joe is a very nice person.

We use a/an ... for jobs etc.:

  • A: What's your job?
    B: I'm a dentist. (not 'I'm dentist')
  • 'What does Mark do?' 'He's an engineer.'
  • Would you like to be a teacher?
  • Beethoven was a composer.
  • Picasso was a famous painter.
  • Are you a student?

a ... = one thing or person

  • He's got a camera.
  • She's waiting for a taxi.
  • It's a beautiful day.
  • Alice works in a bank.
  • Can I ask a question?

an before a/e/i/o/u

  • Do you want an apple or a banana?
  • I'm going to buy a hat and an umbrella.
  • There was an interesting programme on TV.
  • Can I have another cup of tea?

a/an ... for jobs, descriptions

  • The sun is a star.
  • Football is a game.
  • Dallas is a city in Texas.
  • A mouse is an animal.
  • I'm a dentist.
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64.1 Write a or an.
1 an old book
2 window
3 horse
4 airport
5 new airport
6 organisation
7 university
8 hour
9 economic problem
64.2 What are these things? Choose from the list.
bird
fruit
mountain
river
musical instrument
flower
game
planet
tool
vegetable
1 A duck is a bird.
2 A carrot is .
3 Tennis is .
4 A hammer is .
5 Everest is .
6 Jupiter is .
7 A pear is .
8 The Amazon is .
9 A rose is .
10 A trumpet is .
64.3 What are their jobs? Choose from the list and finish the sentences.
dentist
electrician
nurse
photographer
private detective
shop assistant
taxi driver
1. She's a dentist.
2 He's .
3 She's .
4 .
5 .
6 .
7 .
8 And you? I'm .
64.4 Make sentences. Choose from Box A and Box B. Use a/an where necessary.
old house
artist
party
question
bookshop
foreign language
hat
bicycle
1 I want to ask you a question.
2 .
3 .
4 .
5 .
6 .
7 .
8 .