Sofía: I am a designer. Ben is a photographer... an unlucky photographer.
Ben: Hey! I saw an iguana this morning. It was in the garden, next to the mango tree.
Kenji: The sun is strong today. I need a hat and an umbrella.
Abuela Carmen: In this house there is a rule: the last arepa is for the grandmother.
Common mistake: “She is teacher.” — Correct: “She is a teacher.”
Articles present a noun: a/an for one thing among many (any teacher), the for the specific one everybody knows (the sun) — and English needs them even where Spanish doesn't.
a / an / the
Article
Use it for...
Example
a
one thing — before consonant SOUND
a banana, a hat, a university
an
one thing — before vowel SOUND
an apple, an iguana, an hour
the
the specific or unique one
the sun, the last arepa, the garden
a + job
English needs it: She is A teacher
He is an engineer
no article
generalizations in plural
I like apples (not 'the apples')
I have an apple and a banana.
She is a teacher at the school.
The sun is very strong today.
There is an iguana in the garden.
He isn't a doctor; he is an engineer.
I don't have a car.
This isn't the correct answer.
Is there a supermarket near here?
Do you have an umbrella?
Is she a designer?
Is she a teacher? Yes, she is.
Do you have a pet? No, I don't.
Is this the last arepa? Yes, it is... and it's mine.
Practice
I have ___ apple. (an, a, the)
She is ___ teacher. (the, a, —)
___ sun is strong today. (A, An, The)
We choose 'an' by the sound, not the letter: an apple, an hour.
In English, jobs don't need an article: 'She is doctor' is correct.
There is ___ iguana in the garden. (a / an / the)
Kenji needs ___ hat for the sun. (a / an / the)
___ last arepa is for the grandmother. (a / an / the)
Unscramble: she, is, a, teacher, at, the, school
Unscramble: is, there, a, supermarket, near, here
Find the mistake: I have a apple.
Find the mistake: She is teacher.
Find the mistake: An sun is very strong today.
She is a designer. — Write the negative form.
There is an iguana in the garden. — Write the yes/no question.
Is she a teacher? — Answer with a short answer (Yes).
I have a car. — Write the negative form.
He isn't an engineer. — Write the affirmative form.
Do you have a pet? (short answer)
Is the sun a planet? (short answer, No)
Listening
Kenji: Sofía, is there a supermarket near here?
Sofía: Yes, there is one on the corner, next to the park.
Kenji: Great. I need an umbrella and a hat. The sun is terrible today.
Ben: Buy an ice cream too! There is a machine at the entrance.
Sofía: Ben, you are a genius... an ice cream genius.
Ben: It's a gift.
Reading
Kenji writes in his diary: 'Today I saw an iguana for the first time. It was in the garden of the house, under a mango tree. Abuela Carmen says the iguana visits every morning and eats a flower — always one flower, always at the same time. It is a very organized animal. In Japan, I had a cat. A cat is a good friend, but an iguana with a schedule? That is a Colombian surprise.'