A/AN Rule 1: Use A when a singular count noun is indefinite and the article is followed by a consonant sound. ex: There is a dirt road at the north end of this town. Rule 2: Use AN when a singular count noun is indefinite and the article is followed by a vowel sound. ex: He is an honorable man. Rule 3: Use A/AN after "there is" when referring to a countable noun. ex: There is a pen on the table. Rule 4: Use A/AN when mentioning something for the first time. ex: Look! There's a dog in our yard! Rule 5: Use A for single letters and numbers that begin with a consonant sound. ex: John got a "B" on his history test. The professor wrote a "2" on the board. Rule 6: Use AN for letters and numbers that begin with a vowel sound. ex: Mary got an "A" on her geology test. The teacher wrote an "8" on the board. Rule 7: Use A/AN to mean "for each" or "per" ex: Eggs are only 79 cents a dozen. A plane travels over 600 miles an hour. Rule 8: Use A/AN before a noun phrase when using the comparative. ex: Margaret is a better student than her sister. John is an older man than my dad. Exception to Rule 8: Use THE with the comparative for double comparatives or when the adjective in a comparison is used as a noun. ex: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. ex: I have two brothers. The taller is Donald. Rule 9: Use A with the words "few" or "little" when they express a positive meaning. ex: He knows the subject because he has taken a few classes in it. Cole, Tom. The Article Book. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000. THE Rule 10: Use THE with in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. ex: Classes are held in the evening. Exception to Rule 10: Use Ø with at night. ex: I often watch television at night. Rule 11: Use THE when the noun has already been mentioned. ex: I saw a dog. The dog ran away. Rule 12: Use THE when the noun that follows is already known. ex: I picked up my suitcase and the handle broke off. Rule 13: Use THE when the noun is made definite by a prepositional phrase. ex: The prerequisites for this class are algebra and chemistry. Exception to Rule 13: Do not use THE when the prepositional phrase does not make the noun definite. ex: I'd like a cup of coffee. (any cup of coffee) Rule 14: Use THE when the noun is made definite by an adjective clause or an adjective phrase. ex: The man that hired me yesterday left the company today. Exception to Rule 14: Don't use THE when the adjective clause or adjective phrase does not make the noun definite. ex: I want a pen that works. (any pen that works) Rule 15: Use THE with the superlative. ex: Alaska is the biggest state in the United States of America. Rule 16: Use THE with ordinal numbers and other ranking words like "next" and "last." ex: The second semester begins in January. I hope you enjoy the next song. Exception (a) to Rule 16: Do not use an article with ordinal numbers or other ranking works when listing ideas or writing a time sequence (steps). ex: First, read the sentence. Next, choose an answer. Last, write your choice. Exception (b) to Rule 16: Do not use an article with ordinal numbers when referring to names of prizes. ex: Linda won second prize. First prize in the Olympics is a gold medal. Exception (c) to Rule 16: Do not use an article with "next" or "last" for specific times like "next month", "last Christmas," "next Tuesday," or " last year." ex: Last year I worked in a bakery. I'll see you next week. Rule 17: Use THE with the names of rivers, oceans, seas, and deserts. ex: The Congo River is in Africa. Cole, Tom. The Article Book. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000. Rule 18: Use THE with plural nouns. ex: The Rocky Mountains are in the western part of the United States. Rule 19: Use THE with family names followed by a noun or pluralized. ex: The Rodriguezes bought a house on Cherry Lane. The Smith brothers live next door. Rule 20: Use THE with the names of hotels, motels, theaters, bridges, and buildings. ex: The Hilton Hotel is located on Main Street. Exception to Rule 20: Do not use an article with the names of halls or hospitals. ex: He is a patient at Florida Hospital. I take class in Smith Hall. Rule 21: Use THE with the names of zoos, gardens, museums, institutes, and companies. ex: Many people say that the San Diego Zoo is the best zoo in the world. Rule 22: Use THE when the noun is the only one that exists. ex: The sun is only a small object in the galaxy. Rule 23: Use THE with adjectives that act as nouns to describe a group of people. ex: The poor need the help of the government. Rule 24: Use THE to express the plural of nationalities that have no other plural form. ex: The French produce excellent wine. Rule 25: Use THE for compass directions if they follow prepositions like to, in, on, at, or from. ex: To the north, you can see a range of mountains. My house is on the south side of town.