Warm-up

Have a go — what do you already know about little words like a, an and the? No notes, just try.

You already use one of these words every day. Complete this sentence:

"Can I have coffee, please?"

SPEAK

Have a go out loud: say two things you'd like right now using "a" or "an" — "I'd like a tea. I'd like an orange juice."

Listen in on this conversation

Customer: Excuse me, do you have any umbrellas?

Assistant: Yes — there's an umbrella stand right by the door. Oh, and the cash machine is just outside, if you need it.

Look again at what the assistant says. First they say "an umbrella stand" — but later, "the cash machine". Why the change, do you think? Say your idea out loud before you check.

Check your idea CLICK

There's only one cash machine outside — both people already know exactly which one it is. "The" means "you know which one I mean." "A/an" is for something new, or just any one of many.

Today: a/an, the, and this / that / these / those — so you can talk about things around you, ask for things in shops and cafés, and point things out in English.

A or An?

For the first time you mention something, for jobs, and for "any one" of many things — not one specific thing.

Spot the pattern

Three everyday sentences:

"I need a new phone — mine broke."
"She's an English teacher."
"There's an apple in my bag if you're hungry."

Two of these use "an", one uses "a". What decides which one we use — is it the spelling, or the sound?

Check the pattern CLICK

It's the sound, not the spelling. "An" goes before a vowel sound (English, apple), "a" goes before a consonant sound (phone). Also — none of these things were mentioned before, so the listener doesn't know which one yet.

a + consonant sound (a phone, a job, a bike)
an + vowel sound (an idea, an apple, an hour)

    It's really the sound that counts: "an hour" (the "h" is silent, so it sounds like a vowel), but "a university" (it starts with a "y" sound).
  

Your turn

1. Your brother works with machines all day, fixing them.

Tell a friend his job: "He's engineer."

2. You're at a café ordering lunch for the first time.

"Can I have sandwich, please?"

3. You're walking down the street and notice something for the first time. "I saw ___ old dog outside the shop."

SPEAK

Say three jobs using "a" or "an": "My mum is a nurse. My uncle is an actor..."

The One We Know

Use "the" when you and the listener both already know exactly which thing you mean.

Spot the pattern

Three everyday sentences:

"Can you close the window? It's cold." (only one window here)
"I bought a jacket yesterday. The jacket was really cheap." (already mentioned)
"Where's the bathroom, please?" (only one in this house)

What do all three have in common? Say it before you check.

Check the pattern CLICK

In every case, both people already know exactly which one: there's only one in that place, it was already mentioned once, or it's obvious from the situation. That's the whole idea of "the".

the + noun → both people know exactly which one

From new to known

"I saw a cat in the garden."

→

"The cat was orange and white."

First mention: "a cat" (new information). Second mention: "the cat" (now you both know which one).

Your turn

1. You ordered a pizza an hour ago. It still hasn't arrived.

Complain to your flatmate: " pizza still hasn't arrived!"

2. You're in a small café with only one till.

Ask a member of staff: "Excuse me, is till open?"

3. You share a flat with one bathroom. "Someone's using ___ bathroom right now."

SPEAK

Say two things using "the" about your home or your street — something there's only one of: "The kitchen is...", "The bus stop is..."

This, That, These, Those

For pointing at things — near you or far away, one thing or more than one.

Spot the pattern

Four everyday sentences:

"This coffee's gone cold." (in your hand)
"How much is that jacket, the blue one over there?" (across the shop)
"These shoes are really comfortable." (on your feet, more than one)
"Are those your keys, on the table over there?" (far away, more than one)

What decides this/that, and what decides this/these? Say it before you check.

Check the pattern CLICK

Distance decides this/that: this/these = near you, that/those = far away. Number decides this/that vs these/those: this/that = one thing, these/those = more than one.

near: this (one) → these (more than one)
far: that (one) → those (more than one)

Your turn

1. You're holding a heavy bag right now, in your hands.

" bag is so heavy!"

2. You're in a shoe shop, looking at shoes on a shelf across the room.

Ask the assistant: "How much are shoes over there?"

3. At a market, the seller just handed you a piece of cheese to taste. "___ cheese is really good!"

SPEAK

Look around you right now. Point at three things near you using "this/these", and three things far away using "that/those".

Your Turn to Talk

Time to use all four forms together, describing the room you're in right now.

The situation

Look around the room you're in. Describe it out loud for one minute. Try to include:

Something new you're mentioning for the first time — "There's a..." / "There's an..."
Something there's only one of in this room — "The... is..."
Something near you — "This... is..." / "These... are..."
Something far away — "That... is..." / "Those... are..."

01:00

Now put it in writing

Write a short message (3–5 sentences) about a room, a shop or a café you know. Use a/an, the, and at least one of this/that/these/those — the checker will tell you which ones it finds.

Mix It Up

Real life doesn't tell you which form to use. Here everything is mixed — you decide.

Fix the mistakes

Each sentence has one grammar mistake. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly.

1. "Can I have a orange juice, please?"

2. "This shoes are too small for me."

3. "I need umbrella. It is raining."

4. "This bag over there is really heavy."

Which form fits?

5. You see a coat on a hanger far across the shop, and you like it. "How much is ___ coat over there?"

6. "I went to a new restaurant last night. ___ restaurant was amazing."

SPEAK

One-minute challenge: describe your kitchen or bedroom out loud. Use at least one "a/an", one "the", and one "this/that/these/those". Use the timer above if you like the pressure.

What Do You Remember?

First, from earlier lessons

1. Complete it: "There two cups on the table."

2. Say it out loud: what's the difference between "a dog" and "the dog"?

Compare with a possible answer CLICK

One possible answer: "a dog" means any dog, or the first time you mention one. "The dog" means one specific dog that you and the listener both already know — maybe your neighbour's dog, or one you just mentioned.

Now, today's grammar — fresh sentences, no looking back

3. You're telling someone your job for the first time.

"I'm hairdresser."

4. There's only one clock in this classroom.

"What does clock say?"

5. You're wearing a jumper right now, and it was a gift.

" jumper was a gift from my mum."

Think back

Which practice helped you most today — fixing the mistakes, choosing the right form, or the speaking tasks? Say why you think that one worked for you.

Can you now...?

At the start we said: a/an, the, and this/that/these/those, so you can talk about things around you and point things out. Tick what's true:

I can use a/an the first time I mention something, and for jobs — "She's an engineer."
I can use the when we both already know exactly which one — "Close the window."
I can use this/that/these/those to point at things near me and far away, one or more than one.

    Anything you didn't tick — go back to that tab and try the exercises once more. They'll still check your answers.
  