Articles and countable nouns
The small words that appear in almost every sentence — and in almost every learner's errors.
15 minutes · A free lesson from Grammar for IELTS
Many learners whose first language is Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi find English articles hard, because those languages have no direct equivalent. The rules that matter most:
- Use a/an with a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time: a university, an hour.
- Use the when you mean a specific thing the reader knows: the government, the chart below, the highest figure.
- Use no article for plural or uncountable nouns in general: Children need exercise. Public transport should be cheaper.
Uncountable nouns that are often made plural by mistake
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which is correct?
- She gave me some useful advices.
- She gave me an useful advice.
- She gave me some useful advice.
Show the answer
C: She gave me some useful advice. — advice is uncountable: no plural, and no a or an.
Quick check: Which is correct as a general statement?
- The technology has changed the education.
- Technology has changed education.
- A technology has changed an education.
Show the answer
B: Technology has changed education. — General statements with uncountable or plural nouns usually take no article.
Quick check: Which article goes with “hour”?
- an
- a
- No article
Show the answer
A: an — an goes before a vowel sound: an hour, even though it is spelt with h.
Quick check: Which sentence would you write in Task 1?
- Number of visitors rose.
- Numbers of the visitor rose.
- The number of visitors rose.
Show the answer
C: The number of visitors rose. — Most Task 1 figures take the: the number, the proportion, the figure.
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