Articles
(a/an)
For example: "I want a cookie" (general), "I want an apple" (specific).
Articles are words that we use before nouns to show whether we are referring to something specific or something general. There are two types of articles in English: "a" and "an" (which are both used to refer to general nouns), and "the" (which is used to refer to specific nouns).
We use "a" before a noun that begins with a consonant sound, and "an" before a noun that begins with a vowel sound. For example, we say "a dog" and "an apple". The use of these articles tells us that we are talking about any dog or any apple, not a specific one.
On the other hand, we use "the" before a specific noun that we have already mentioned or that is clear from the context. For example, if we have already mentioned a dog in a conversation, we might say "the dog" to refer to the specific dog we are talking about. Or if we are talking about a particular apple that we saw earlier, we might say "the apple" to refer to that specific apple.
Articles are important because they help us to be more precise in our language and indicate whether we are talking about something specific or something general. So, when you hear or use articles, you know that they are used to refer to specific or general nouns in a sentence.