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Where do the baby turtles go? A, an and the: first and second mention

This A1 ESL lesson plan teaches the articles a, an and the through one sea turtle's night on a Florida beach.

Grammar
Indefinite a and an for one thing the first time, definite the for the second time and the only one (the moon), and no article for all of a kind: Turtles lay eggs.
Topic
Sea turtles nesting on Florida beaches, and why lights should go off at night for the hatchlings, with words such as nest, shell and flipper.
Activities
A beach sign, a turtle walk dialogue and a guide's talk, self-checking drills, a chat about a favorite animal and an animal story to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, sea turtles!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: a turtle on the beachVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: lights out!

    • Look at the photo: a sea turtle at nightPictureUnlock
    • Read the beach signReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a turtle walk

    • Listen to Mia and TundeListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a beach guideListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen to the guide and choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: a turtle, the turtle

    • Study the scheme: a, an and theGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right word: a, an or theChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag a, an or the into the gaps: a turtle storyDrag and dropTry it
    • Fill in the gaps: first time, second time or only one?Fill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: my favorite animal

    • Choose the right replies: an animal in the parkChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Sort the words into the correct columns: a or an?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a post: an animal storyWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record yourself: a sea turtle's storySpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

9 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+6 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • nest
  • sand
  • hatchling
  • shell
  • moon
  • flipper

Grammar: a, an and the for first and second mention

English has two kinds of article, indefinite a and an and definite the, and a story shows the difference: when a turtle first appears, it's a turtle; once everyone knows which one, it's the turtle. Following one sea turtle up a Florida beach, learners switch from a to the as the story goes on, choose a or an by sound, and use the for the moon and the ocean.

A turtle, an egg, the ocean

a or an: one thing, the first time. the: the second time, or the only one.

A or an? The next sound decides

A and an go with one thing only, so never a eggs. Use an before a vowel sound and a before other sounds: an egg, an island, a nest, a turtle. An adjective in between can change the choice: a big egg, an old turtle.

a or an? Listen to the next word

a + b, d, h, n, t… sounds

  • a turtle
  • a nest
  • a hatchling
  • a big egg

an + a, e, i, o, u sounds

  • an egg
  • an animal
  • an island
  • an old turtle

a and an: only ONE thing

a and an go with one thing: a turtle, an egg. Two or more? No a or an: turtles, eggs (not: a eggs). Look at the next word: an egg, but a big egg; a turtle, but an old turtle. Not: a ocean, an turtle.

First mention a, second mention the

The second time, the same thing takes the: Look! There's a turtle on the beach. The turtle is digging a nest. The also goes with the only one, as in the moon, the sun and the sky, and with a place we both know: Let's go to the beach!

When?SayExample
one thing, the first timea / anLook! There's a turtle on the beach.
the same thing, the second timetheThe turtle is digging a nest.
there is only onethethe moon, the sun, the sky, the ocean
we both know ittheLet's go to the beach! (our beach)
all of them (plural)no wordTurtles lay eggs. Hatchlings go to the ocean.

A turtle story, and no article for all turtles

In the story, each noun moves from a to the: The turtle digs a nest in the sand. She lays about 100 eggs in the nest. About all of a kind, plurals take no article at all: Sea turtles lay eggs on Florida beaches.

  • At night, a turtle comes out of the ocean.a turtle: the first time · the ocean: only one
  • The turtle digs a nest in the sand.the turtle: the second time · a nest: the first time
  • She lays about 100 eggs in the nest.the nest: the second time
  • After about 60 days, the eggs hatch.the eggs: the second time
  • Sea turtles lay eggs on Florida beaches.all sea turtles: no word

Common mistakes

  • A moon is bright tonight.

    The moon is bright tonight.

    there is only one moon: the

  • The turtles lay eggs. (all turtles)

    Turtles lay eggs.

    all of them: no the

  • I can see an turtle.

    I can see a turtle.

    t sound: a

  • The turtle lays a eggs.

    The turtle lays eggs.

    two or more: no a

More lessons on this grammar: Articles lessons and exercises

Try the articles exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 12 auto-checked exercises
  • 2 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • choose a or an by the next sound: an egg, a big egg, a turtle, an old turtle
  • switch from a to the the second time: A turtle comes out of the ocean. The turtle digs a nest.
  • use the for the only one: the moon, the sun, the sky, the ocean
  • talk about all of a kind with no article, as in Turtles lay eggs, and tell a short animal story

Lesson 24 closes Animals and nature, the sixth unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It builds on lesson 10 of English A1.1 · Hello, World, where students chose a or an by the first sound, and on the There's a… sentences of lesson 21, then adds the for what is already known. A turtle's night on the beach follows one animal from start to finish, so a turtle becomes the turtle from the second sentence on.

Students spin a wheel of warm-up questions and learn nine words, from dig and hatch to shell and flipper, with pictures and audio. They read a beach sign, Lights Out for Sea Turtles!, then listen to Mia tell Tunde about a night turtle walk in Florida (an AI-voiced dialogue) and to a beach guide starting a walk. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, checked as students answer: choosing a, an or the, a drag-and-drop that tells a turtle's story, a gap-fill on first time, second time or only one, and picking the right sentence. In the speaking chapter, students tell Mia about their favorite animal in a chat, then open boxes, one of which starts a turtle story for them to finish.

Homework starts with two self-checking tasks, sorting words into a and an and matching beach words with their meanings. Students then write a short animal story for a class blog and record a sea turtle's story, which both go to the teacher.

Grammar:
a / an · the · a or an · first time and second time · no article with plurals
Topic:
sea turtles · Florida · beaches · animals and nature · lights out

Teaching tips

  • Tell a two-line story about the classroom: There's a bag on the desk. The bag is red. Ask why the second line says the, then let pairs write their own two-line stories.
  • Hunt for articles on the beach sign: after a first read for meaning, students circle every a, an and the and say why each one is there.
  • Play an adjective switch: say an egg and add big, and the class answers a big egg; say a turtle and add old, and they answer an old turtle.
  • Retell the turtle's night as a chain: one student starts with A turtle comes out of the ocean, and each next student adds a sentence with the until the hatchlings reach the water.

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The whole course: English A1.2 · Out and About

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8Is it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14Never on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23Are there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24 · you're hereWhere do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31A cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

Questions about this lesson

When do you use a, an and the?
Use a or an for new things, the for known ones: There's a turtle on the beach. The turtle is digging a nest. The also goes with things there is only one of, like the moon and the sky. For all of a kind, use a plural with no article: Turtles lay eggs. The A1 lesson Where do the baby turtles go? on edio.ai practices all three through a sea turtle's story.
What are definite and indefinite articles?
The is the definite article; a and an are indefinite. The definite article points to a particular thing that both people know, or the only one there is: the turtle we just saw, the moon. The indefinite articles bring in one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet: a nest, an egg. Plurals have no indefinite article, so it's eggs, never a eggs.
When do you use the in English?
Use the when it's clear which thing you mean: the second time you talk about it, when there's only one, or when both people know it. A turtle comes out of the ocean. The turtle digs a nest. The moon is bright tonight. Let's go to the beach! Leave the out for all of a kind: Hatchlings go to the ocean.
What's the difference between a and the?
A brings in a thing; the points back to it. I have a question means one new question; the question means one you both know about. A story moves the same noun from a to the: She digs a nest in the sand. She lays about 100 eggs in the nest. A drag-and-drop in Where do the baby turtles go?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, follows a nest that way.
Is it "a egg" or "an egg"?
It's an egg, because egg starts with a vowel sound. An comes before vowel sounds (an animal, an island, an owl) and a before the rest (a nest, a hatchling). The word right after the article decides, so an adjective can switch it: an egg but a big egg. The chat in this lesson tests it with An owl! against A owl!
Is it "Turtles lay eggs" or "The turtles lay eggs"?
For all turtles, it's Turtles lay eggs, with no article. A plural without the talks about the whole kind: Sea turtles lay eggs on Florida beaches. Hatchlings go to the ocean. The turtles means particular ones already mentioned, such as the turtles in a story you're telling. A quiz in Where do the baby turtles go? on edio.ai asks which sentence is about all turtles.
What is a baby sea turtle called?
A baby sea turtle is called a hatchling, a baby animal just out of its egg. Its story needs a few more beach words: a mother turtle digs a nest in the sand, the eggs hatch after about two months, and the hatchlings go to the ocean at night. A turtle also has a hard shell on its back and flippers for swimming.
How do I teach a, an and the to beginners?
Teach the articles through a short story, which makes the switch from a to the easy to see: A turtle comes out of the ocean. The turtle digs a nest. Practice a or an by sound separately: an egg, a big egg. On edio.ai, Where do the baby turtles go? builds a whole A1 lesson on one turtle's night, from a beach sign to a story told in drills.
What's a good game for practicing articles?
A story chain is a good game: the first player says A turtle comes out of the ocean, and each next player adds a sentence, bringing in new things with a or an and earlier ones with the. For a and an alone, try sorting: the homework of this lesson sorts words like umbrella, big egg and old turtle into two columns.
How do you practice a, an and the one-to-one?
Take turns telling a short story about a real animal, a pet or one seen in a park, and listen for the switch from a to the: I have a cat. The cat sleeps on my bed. The chat in this lesson needs no partner: a friend asks about a favorite animal, and the student picks The owl lives in a big tree over A owl lives in a big tree.
What's good homework for practicing a, an and the?
Good homework is a short animal story written in the present: something new with a or an, the same thing again with the, and the sun or the moon for the only one: A squirrel comes down from a tree. The squirrel finds a nut. In Where do the baby turtles go? on edio.ai, students write one and record a sea turtle's story, after a self-checking a-or-an sort.
Are there interactive exercises for articles?
Yes: drag-and-drop stories and chats that check themselves give instant feedback on a, an and the. This page plays four parts of Where do the baby turtles go?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, without an account: the beach sign, a dialogue about a night turtle walk, a drag-and-drop that puts a, an or the into a turtle story, and a chat about a favorite animal. The gap-fill and the rest are locked.
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