A Practical English Grammar - Thomson amp; Martinet.docVIP

1 Articles and one, a little/a few, this, that 1 a/an (the indefinite article) The form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a vowel with a consonant sound: a man a hat a university a European a one-way street The form an is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or words beginning with a mute h: an apple an island an uncle an egg an onion an hour or individual letters spoken with a vowel sound: an L-plate an MP an SOS an x a/an is the same for all genders: a man a woman an actor an actress a table 2 Use of a/an a/an is used: A Before a singular noun which is countable (i.e. of which there is more than one) when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing: / need a visa. They live in a flat. He bought an ice-cream. B Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of things: A car must be insured = All cars/Any car must be insured. A child needs love = All children need/Any child needs love. C With a noun complement. This includes names of professions: It was an earthquake. Shell be a dancer. He is an actor. D In certain expressions of quantity: a lot of a couple a great many a dozen (but one dozen is also possible) a great deal of E With certain numbers a hundred a thousand (See 349 ) Before half when half follows a whole number ll/2 kilos = one and a half kilos or a kilo and a half But 1/2 kg = half a kilo (no a before half), though a + half + noun is sometimes possible a half holiday a half portion a half share With 1/3 1/4, 1/5 etc a is usual a third, a quarter etc , but one is also possible (See 350 ) F In expressions of price, speed, ratio etc 5p a kilo ￡1 a metre sixty kilometres an hour lOp a dozen four times a day (Here a/an = per ) G In exc