Referring to Objects
Articles - Determiners
'A' is an indefinite article used with nouns or adjectives beginning with a consonant (b, d, z, v, t, etc.).
They made a safety inventory list of management.
They stock a supermarket with consumer packaged goods.
An
'An' is an indefinite article used with nouns or adjectives beginning with a vowel (a,e, i, o, u).
She designed an advance in our continuous processing lines for the specialty steel industry last January.
He signed an agreement with a contract warehouse last month.
The
'The' is a definite article used with nouns or adjectives beginning with vowels or consonants.
The car over there is fast.
The teacher is very good, isn't he?
A, An - Usage
Use "a or an" when you introduce an object to a discussion. Remember that your speakers are not familiar with which object you are speaking about. However, the next time you repeat that object use "the".
They made a safety inventory list of management.
They stock a supermarket with consumer packaged goods.
He signed an agreement with a contract warehouse last month.
The - Usage
Use definite articles with specific objects that are recognizeed by both the speaker and the audience.
The safety stock required is kept in this container.
The costing methods we employ in Minnesota allow us to determine our inventory cost.
Definite articles are not used with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".
He lives in Washington near Mount Rainier.
They live in northern British Columbia.
Definite articles are used with specific bodies of water, oceans and seas.
My country borders on the Pacific Ocean.
Articles are not used when speaking about things in general. When speaking in general, use the plural form for count nouns, and the singular with non count nouns.
Direct costs must be assessed in any production process.
A skilled designer is vital in advertising.
Articles are not used when speaking about meals, places, or transport.
He has breakfast at home.
I go to university.
He comes to work by taxi.