The indefinite article has two forms: a and an.
a before words beginning with a consonant & an before words beginning with a vowel or mute h.
The Indefinite Article
Examples | a – / ə /:
| a fork | / ə fɔːk/ |
| a fork | / ə fɔːk/ |
| a lamp | / ə ˈlamp / |
| a woman | / ə ˈwʊmən / |
| a method | / ə ˈmɛθəd / |
Examples | an – / ən /:
| an hour | / ən ˈaʊə / |
| an orange | / ən ˈˈɒrɪn(d)ʒ / |
| an egg | / ən ˈɛɡ / |
The Indefinite article has no plural.
The noun in the plural is used either without any article, or proceed by some in affirmative sentences.
In interrogative and negative sentences the plural must be preceded by any (occasionally by some).
| an artwork | artworks | any / some artworks |
| a lamp | lamps | any / some lamps |
| a ball | balls | any / some balls |
| a method | methods | any / some methods |
Examples of the indefinite articles | Singular & Plural
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| I saw a girl are playing on the street. | I saw some girls are playing on the street. |
| I will need to buy a lamp. | I will need to buy some lamps. |
| This is a JavaScript method. | Those are some JavaScript methods. |
