How to Use Articles ‘A, An, The’ in IELTS Writing & Speaking

Objective:

Understand and apply article and determiner rules accurately to improve grammar accuracy in IELTS Writing and Speaking.

🔹 Overview

✅ 1. What Are Articles and Determiners?

Articles and determiners are words that come before nouns to give information about specificity, quantity, or ownership.

Articles: a, an, the
Determiners: this, that, these, those, some, any, my, your, few, several, etc.

They help clarify which noun you mean and how specific you’re being.

✅ 2. Definite vs Indefinite Articles

Type	Article	Use	Example
Indefinite	a, an	When referring to something non-specific or mentioned for the first time	I saw a dog in the park.
Definite	the	When referring to something specific or already known	The dog* was very friendly.*

✅ 3. Rules for “A” and “An”

Rule	Use “A”	Use “An”
Before consonant sounds	a book, a car, a teacher	—
Before vowel sounds	—	an apple, an hour, an idea

💡 Tip: Focus on sound, not spelling!
👉 an hour (because “h” is silent)
👉 a university (because “u” sounds like /juː/)

✅ 4. When to Use “The”

Use “the” when the noun is:

Already mentioned:
I bought a phone. The phone was expensive.
Unique:
The sun rises in the east.
Specific or obvious from context:
Close the door, please.
Superlatives:
The best student in the class.
Ordinal numbers:
The first time I visited London.

✅ 5. When NOT to Use Articles (Zero Article)

No article is used:

Before plural or uncountable nouns used generally:
Cars are expensive. / Water is essential.
Before languages, countries, or subjects:
I’m studying English and history in Pakistan.
Before meals, days, and sports:
We eat breakfast at 8. / I play football.

✅ 6. Common Determiners in IELTS Writing

Type	Examples	Usage
Demonstratives	this, that, these, those	This problem affects many people.
Quantifiers	some, many, few, several	Many students find grammar challenging.
Possessives	my, your, their, its	Their attitude towards education has changed.
Numbers	one, two, several	Two main reasons explain this trend.

🔹 Examples: Correct vs Incorrect Usage

Incorrect Sentence	Correct Sentence
I bought an car yesterday.	I bought a car yesterday.
The pollution is major problem.	Pollution is a major problem.
She is a best student in the class.	She is the best student in the class.
A sun rises in east.	The sun rises in the east.
People want the happiness.	People want happiness.

🔹 Practice Activities

🧩 Activity 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with a, an, the, or no article (—).

She bought umbrella because it was raining.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
I have idea to improve this project.
education plays an important role in development.
He works as engineer in a multinational company.
I visited UK last summer.
Water is essential part of life.
My brother wants to become doctor.
internet has changed the way we communicate.
I always drink cup of coffee in the morning.

✍️ Activity 2: Article Error Correction

Each sentence below contains an article mistake. Rewrite them correctly.

The pollution is increasing in a cities.
I met an European student in the library.
A Nile River flows through Egypt.
The life in countryside is peaceful.
The students should learn a patience.
I read a news yesterday about environment.
She wants to buy an university apartment.
A information provided was very useful.

💬 Activity 3: IELTS Writing Practice — Choose the Correct Article

Fill in the blanks with suitable articles for each IELTS-style sentence.
government should invest more in education.
Many people believe that happiness is more important than money.
pollution has become a serious global problem.
online learning platforms are becoming popular among students.
environment needs to be protected for future generations.

🧠 Activity 4: IELTS Writing Task Practice (Sentence Editing)

The people should recycle a plastic waste.

Correct the article errors in the following IELTS-style sentences by rewriting them in the given box below.

In a modern world, technology plays important role.
Government should take responsibility to control the traffic.
A pollution in cities is increasing rapidly.
A education system should focus on practical skills.
The people should recycle a plastic waste.

💬 Activity 5: IELTS Speaking Drills — Practicing Articles Naturally

Use the correct articles in your responses to these prompts. Record yourself and self-correct.
Sample Prompts:

Describe a city you would like to visit.
Talk about an invention that changed the world.
Describe the best teacher you ever had.
What is the role of education in society?
Describe a problem in your hometown.

🗣️ Tip: Articles make your speech sound natural and fluent. IELTS examiners notice when you drop them — especially “the.”

Drag and Drop File Here or Browse

🧾 IELTS Grammar Tip

Article misuse lowers your “Grammatical Accuracy” band score.
Remember:

Use a/an for non-specific or first mentions.

Use the for known or unique things.

Use no article for general ideas, plural nouns, and uncountable nouns.

Example:
❌ A pollution is dangerous for the environment.
✅ Pollution is dangerous for the environment.

🌟 Mini Summary Table

Type	Use	Examples
a / an	Non-specific / first mention	I saw a movie. / She bought an apple.
the	Specific / known / unique	The moon is bright tonight.
No article (—)	General idea / plural / uncountable	Water is life. / Cars are expensive.

🧠 IELTS Writing Insight

Examiners don’t just check if you know the rules — they check consistency. Using articles correctly and naturally in your essay shows strong grammatical control, a key requirement for Band 8+.

🐐 GoatGuruEnglish Final Thought

Articles are tiny words but mighty score boosters. Master them, and your writing will sound polished, fluent, and academic — exactly what examiners love.

Explore Other Grammar Topics & their Exercises Here.

Learn About Common Sentence Errors & How to Fix Them for Band 8+ Here.