A or An? A Beginner's Picture Guide and Practice
Practise a and an with eight picture examples and 12 interactive questions. Learn the sound rule, adjective changes and simple singular noun phrases.
Look at a book, an apple and an umbrella. Which little word comes first: a or an? This beginner picture lesson starts with the eight objects on the poster and helps you hear the sound that makes the choice. Try twelve questions, including four short sound-rule extensions.
This is part of Learn with Pictures, a series of beginner English lessons. Use the illustration to notice the meaning, then use the written examples and practice to build your own sentences.
Start with the picture poster
Read each object name with its small word: a book, a cat, a pencil, a banana, an apple, an egg, an orange and an umbrella. Say the whole phrase together. Every label and teaching example is also written below, so you can follow the lesson without reading text inside the image.
Find the pictures as you read. You can return to the poster when you need a reminder.
The simple pattern: one countable thing
Use a or an before a singular countable noun when introducing one thing or saying what kind of thing it is: “It is a book.” “I have an apple.” Countable means you can count separate items: one book, two books; one apple, two apples.
This lesson practises the choice between a and an. It does not try to cover every use of the or every situation with no article. First become comfortable naming one object in a picture.
Four poster phrases with a
1. a book
Book begins with the consonant sound /b/, so use a.
Example: This is a book about animals.
2. a cat
Cat begins with the consonant sound /k/, so use a.
Example: There is a cat by the door.
3. a pencil
Pencil begins with a consonant sound, so use a.
Example: I need a pencil for my drawing.
4. a banana
Banana begins with a consonant sound, so use a.
Example: She has a banana in her lunchbox.
Four poster phrases with an
1. an apple
Apple begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
Example: I put an apple on the plate.
2. an egg
Egg begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
Example: There is an egg in the bowl.
3. an orange
Orange begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
Example: Would you like an orange?
4. an umbrella
Umbrella begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
Example: He carries an umbrella on rainy days.
Listen to the first sound, not only the first letter
The letters a, e, i, o and u often represent vowel sounds at the beginning of words, but the article depends on the sound you say. Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. For all eight poster nouns, the spelling gives an easy clue. Some other words need more attention.
an hour: the h is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound.
a university: the first sound is the consonant sound at the beginning of you, even though the first letter is u.
Hour and university are extra examples, not poster labels. You do not need a long exception list today. When you learn a new noun, practise it inside a short phrase so that the article and noun become familiar together.
An adjective can change the choice
Listen to the word immediately after a or an, even when it is an adjective: “an apple” becomes “a red apple” because red begins with a consonant sound. “A book” becomes “an old book” because old begins with a vowel sound.
an umbrella → a blue umbrella
a cat → an old cat
an orange → a small orange
Use a three-step check
1. Am I naming one countable thing? If yes, a or an may fit.
2. What is the next spoken word, including any adjective?
3. Does that word start with a consonant sound or a vowel sound? Choose a or an, then say the whole phrase.
Example: You want to describe one umbrella. The next word is umbrella, which begins with a vowel sound: “It is an umbrella.” Now add red. The next word is red, so the phrase becomes “It is a red umbrella.”
A short picture conversation
A: What is this? B: It is an apple. A: Is this a book? B: Yes, it is. It is an old book.
The second speaker changes a to an when old comes before book. The noun is still book; it is the first sound in the whole phrase that matters.
Practice 1: Choose the best answer
Choose one answer for each question. Check your answers, read the explanations and try again if you need to.
Answer on paper, then open the explanations below. Enable JavaScript to check answers here.
Practice 2: Complete the sentences
Type only the missing word or words. Use the clue in each question. Check the explanations after you finish.
Answer on paper, then open the explanations below. Enable JavaScript to check answers here.
Your turn: point, name and add a detail
Your turn · self-review
Make your own picture phrases
Use four poster objects. Say each phrase, then write it. The examples below show one possible answer.
Practice only. Your writing stays on this page; it is not submitted or saved.
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Model answer and explanation
This is a book. This is a pencil. This is an orange. This is an umbrella.
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Model answer and explanation
It is an apple. It is a green apple. This is a book. This is an interesting book.
Check: Is the noun singular? Did you listen to the next word rather than just look at the noun’s first letter? If you want to learn when to choose the, continue with the fuller article guide below.
Keep learning
Choose a small number of new words or patterns to use today. Say your sentences aloud, check one detail and repeat them tomorrow.
Explore the Learn with Pictures series
