Articles: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Q: When do we use a, an and the?

A or an for something new, the once it's known. There's a turtle on the beach brings it in; after that, it's the turtle . The also goes with things there's only one of, like the sun and the sky , and with places both speakers know. A plural that means all of them needs no article: Hatchlings go to the ocean.

Q: How do you know whether to use a or an?

Listen to the first sound of the next word. A vowel sound takes an : an egg , an island , an animal . A consonant sound takes a : a turtle , a nest , a hatchling . An adjective in front can change it, because its sound comes first: an egg , but a big egg ; a turtle , but an old turtle .

Q: How do I teach articles to A1 students?

Begin with a and an , then contrast them with the . In English A1.1 on edio.ai, learners pick a or an by sound in a lesson on plurals and big numbers, around the giant General Sherman tree. English A1.2 then follows a sea turtle through one night on a Florida beach, so a turtle turns into the turtle as the story goes on.

Q: What are good activities for teaching articles?

Activities where something new becomes something known. In a picture talk, students name a thing and then say more about it: There's a dog in the park. The dog has a ball. In a story chain, each student adds a sentence about something already named. For place names, try sorting cards into the and no article: the Grand Canyon , Lake Michigan . The lessons add a chat and a speaking game of their own.

Q: Are there interactive articles exercises and quizzes?

Yes, and the ones above play without signing in. Each of them comes from one of the lessons below. In the lessons themselves, students fill gaps, drag and drop and take quizzes in their own accounts, and every answer is checked straight away. The free trial gives you the full library.

Q: When do you use the with place names?

It depends on the kind of place. States, cities, parks and single lakes or mountains have no article, while rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, canyons and plural names take the . So one name can go both ways: Yellowstone Lake , but the Yellowstone River ; Mississippi the state, but the Mississippi the river.

Q: When do you use no article?

When a plural noun means all of them. Turtles lay eggs is about turtles in general, so The turtles lay eggs would point to particular ones, such as the turtles in a story. Many place names take no article either: Camila lives in Louisiana , We had lunch at Yellowstone Lake .

Q: Do these articles lessons work one-to-one?

Yes, in private lessons and as homework. In a private lesson, the student uses their own account and follows along in sync with you, and the speaking game needs just the two of you. When you set a lesson as homework, its drills check themselves, and you review any tasks that need a teacher.

Levels A1 to B2 4 lesson plans · 4 drill lessons Exercises that check themselves

Articles are the small words before a noun: a or an for one thing you mention for the first time, the when it's clear which one, and no article when you mean all of them (Turtles lay eggs). Here are 4 ready-made lessons on articles from the edio.ai library, levels A1 to B1, in American English, with the and place names at A2. Play exercises from them, read each rule in the lesson's grammar scheme and choose one for your class. Their practice exercises are interactive and check each answer as students go.

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Articles lesson plans and drills

4 lesson plans and 4 drill lessons, A1 to B2. Lesson plans are whole lessons with reading, listening and speaking; drill lessons are 44 to 46 self-checking exercises with no new words.

Try the articles exercises

One exercise from each of 6 lessons. These are the same exercises your students do in edio.

Articles explained

Articles tell the listener whether a noun is new or already known. We use a or an for one new thing and the when the listener knows which one, and plural nouns that mean all of them take no article. Place names follow rules of their own.

A or an: the first sound decides

Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word, not its first letter: an umbrella, but a uniform, which starts with a “you” sound. Vowel sounds take an (an old tree), and consonant sounds take a (a park ranger).

a + a consonant sound (b, g, p, t…)

a tree
a bear
a giant sequoia
a park ranger
a uniform (a “you” sound)

an + a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)

an old tree
an animal
an apple pie
an architecture student
an umbrella

From the lesson How old is the General Sherman tree? (English A1.1)

A, an or the? First time, second time

The first time you mention one thing, use a or an; after that, it's the: There's a turtle on the beach. The turtle is digging a nest. The also goes with the only one (the moon) and with places we both know: Let's go to the beach!

When?	Say	Example
one thing, the first time	a / an	Look! There's a turtle on the beach.
the same thing, the second time	the	The turtle is digging a nest.
there is only one	the	the moon, the sun, the sky, the ocean
we both know it	the	Let's go to the beach! (our beach)
all of them (plural)	no word	Turtles lay eggs. Hatchlings go to the ocean.

From the lesson Where do the baby turtles go? (English A1.2)

Through a story, and no article for all of them

In a story, the article tracks what's new and what's known: a nest appears first, then it's the nest. A plural noun that means every one of a kind takes no article: 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

From the lesson Where do the baby turtles go? (English A1.2)

Place names: Wyoming, but the Rocky Mountains

With names, the kind of place decides: no article for states, cities, parks, one lake or one mountain (Wyoming, Lake Michigan, Mount Rainier), but the for rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, canyons, and plural or of names (the Pacific Ocean, the United States).

No the 🚫	the ✅
states and cities: Wyoming, Montana, Louisiana, Atlanta	rivers and oceans: the Yellowstone River, the Pacific Ocean
one lake: Yellowstone Lake, Lake Michigan	mountain ranges (many mountains): the Rocky Mountains, the Absaroka Range
one mountain: Mount Washburn, Mount Rainier, Eagle Peak	deserts and canyons: the Sonoran Desert, the Grand Canyon
parks: Yellowstone National Park, Central Park	plurals and “of” names: the United States (of America), the Great Lakes

From the lesson The first national park (English A2.2)

The name or the ordinary word

A name like Yellowstone National Park takes no article, but the ordinary word for the same place takes the: the park, the state, the lake. Both can meet in one sentence: Most of the park is in Wyoming.

The park, the state

Names like Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Old Faithful have no the. But with a normal word for the place, say the: the park, the state, the lake, the geyser. Most of the park is in Wyoming.

From the lesson The first national park (English A2.2)

Questions about articles

When do we use a, an and the?

A or an for something new, the once it's known. There's a turtle on the beach brings it in; after that, it's the turtle. The also goes with things there's only one of, like the sun and the sky, and with places both speakers know. A plural that means all of them needs no article: Hatchlings go to the ocean.

How do you know whether to use a or an?

Listen to the first sound of the next word. A vowel sound takes an: an egg, an island, an animal. A consonant sound takes a: a turtle, a nest, a hatchling. An adjective in front can change it, because its sound comes first: an egg, but a big egg; a turtle, but an old turtle.

How do I teach articles to A1 students?

Begin with a and an, then contrast them with the. In English A1.1 on edio.ai, learners pick a or an by sound in a lesson on plurals and big numbers, around the giant General Sherman tree. English A1.2 then follows a sea turtle through one night on a Florida beach, so a turtle turns into the turtle as the story goes on.

What are good activities for teaching articles?

Activities where something new becomes something known. In a picture talk, students name a thing and then say more about it: There's a dog in the park. The dog has a ball. In a story chain, each student adds a sentence about something already named. For place names, try sorting cards into the and no article: the Grand Canyon, Lake Michigan. The lessons add a chat and a speaking game of their own.

Are there interactive articles exercises and quizzes?

Yes, and the ones above play without signing in. Each of them comes from one of the lessons below. In the lessons themselves, students fill gaps, drag and drop and take quizzes in their own accounts, and every answer is checked straight away. The free trial gives you the full library.

When do you use the with place names?

It depends on the kind of place. States, cities, parks and single lakes or mountains have no article, while rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, canyons and plural names take the. So one name can go both ways: Yellowstone Lake, but the Yellowstone River; Mississippi the state, but the Mississippi the river.

When do you use no article?

When a plural noun means all of them. Turtles lay eggs is about turtles in general, so The turtles lay eggs would point to particular ones, such as the turtles in a story. Many place names take no article either: Camila lives in Louisiana, We had lunch at Yellowstone Lake.

Do these articles lessons work one-to-one?

Yes, in private lessons and as homework. In a private lesson, the student uses their own account and follows along in sync with you, and the speaking game needs just the two of you. When you set a lesson as homework, its drills check themselves, and you review any tasks that need a teacher.

More English grammar

Lessons for every grammar point, from the verb to be to reported speech. All grammar points

Articles: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Articles lesson plans and drills

How old is the General Sherman tree?

Where do the baby turtles go?

A, an, the: a new apartment

The first national park

Articles: a, the or no article?

Where are the books about girls like me?

Articles with place names: the Nile, but Lake Como

Articles with general ideas: life or the life?

Try the articles exercises

Articles explained

A or an: the first sound decides

A, an or the? First time, second time

Through a story, and no article for all of them

Place names: Wyoming, but the Rocky Mountains

The name or the ordinary word

Questions about articles

More English grammar

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Verbs

Sentences

Words

Teach articles with ready-made lessons