Page 167 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

o/ an; pronunciation of

We use a before a consonant sound (for example, the normal sound of b, c, d, f, g, h).

a book a coat a house a letter a new idea
We use an before a vowel sound (for example, the normal sound of a, e, i, o, u).

an address an egg an idea an old house

fa Put in a or an.

► ticket ► afternoon 1 .......bicycle 2 ......airport 3 shop

4 holiday 5 .......exercise 6 .......day 7 American 8 student

We choose a or an because of pronunciation, not spelling.

• a house, a hand, a head BUT an hour/aoo/ (the h is silent, so hour is like our)
• an uncle, an umbrella, BUT a university (pronounced 'you-niversity'), a European (pronounced 'you-ropean'),
a uniform (pronounced 'you-niform'), a useful book

• an orange, an opera, an office BUT a one-pound stamp (pronounced 'wun .. .0

Put in adjectives.

► a car {expensive) . . ............... 5 an uncle {rich) .........
► an address (new) 6 a job {easy) ..............

1 a friend {old) ..................................................... 7 an exercise {hard) ....
2 an apple {big) .................................................... 8 a language (European)
3 a child (unhappy) .............................................. 9 a book {small) .........
4 a train {early) .....................................................

Before a consonant sound we pronounce the as /do/ (like the end of mother).
Before a vowel sound we say/di/ (it rhymes with see).

^ Pronounce:
the beginning the woman the child the time the place the house the horse

the end the old man the office the address the American
the hour the one the university the European the uniform

Q GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: seven useful things

Complete the sentences with words from the box. Use a or an.

► You use to open tins.

1 You can use..................................when you send a letter.
2 ................................... is useful for mathematics.
3 You can see at night w ith ..................................
4 You can put nails into wood w ith ..................................
5 ................................... is useful for cutting things.
6 ................................... wakes you up in the morning.

152 ARTICLES: A/AN AND THE