IXL | Use the correct article: a, an, or the

Complete the sentence with the best article.

The surprise party was

unexpected

treat.

the

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

Complete the sentence with the best article.

Greta

read

enjoyable

book.

the

key idea

A, an, and the are special adjectives called articles.

Use a or an before a noun that is singular and either not specific or unknown. Use a if the next word starts with a consonant sound. Use an if the next word starts with a vowel sound.

I asked for a banana. She asked for an apple.

Use the before a plural noun or before a singular noun that is specific or known.

I asked for the ripest banana. She asked for the other bananas.

solution

Enjoyable book is not specific. There are many enjoyable books. That means the best article is either a or an.

Now decide whether a or an is correct. After the missing article, the next word is enjoyable. The word enjoyable starts with a vowel sound, so the best article is an.

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Questions
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Time
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SmartScore
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Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

VV.1Use the correct article: a or an

TT.1Is the subject singular or plural?

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