As already learned in the earlier modules, A is used before nouns beginning with a consonant sound. An is used before nouns beginning with a vowel sound. It is also important to note that - A and an are usually not used before proper nouns.
For example, A Tajmahal, or An India is grammatically wrong usage of the article.
In this blog, let us learn about some rules, regarding the usage of indefinite articles a and an.
Rule 1:
The indefinite article, a or an, is used before a singular countable noun when it is mentioned for the first time.
EXAMPLES:
He saw a cat in the garden.
I took an umbrella to school
Rule 2:
The indefinite article, a or an, is used before a singular countable noun representing a class of things.
For example
A cow is a mammal.
Here article �a� is being used before �mammal�, which is a singular countable noun representing a class of things.
Rule 3:
The indefinite article, a or an, is used in expressions of price, speed, etc.
For example :
Rice costs twenty rupees a kilogram.
I drove the car at sixty kilometers an hour.
Here articles �a� and �an� are used before kilogram and hour, which are representing an expression of price and speed.
Rule 4:
The indefinite article, a or an, is used sometimes before Mr/Mrs/Miss + surname.
For example
A Mr. Smith has come to see you. �A Mr. Smith� means �a man called Smith�; Which implies that he is a stranger to the speaker.
Read More: What are Determiners in English Grammar? Definition, and Examples
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