Unit 14: a, an, the (articles)

Past Present

it was raining

I saw that the streets

were wet

Note again the difference between simple and progressive forms:

present simple: I work in a bank

present progressive: I’m working until five today.

Present perfect (simple) : I’ve worked here for two years

Present perfect (progressive): I’ve been working since 8 O’clock

Past perfect (simple) : At my interview I told them that I had worked in a bank before

Past perfect (progressive): I had been working at the bank for one year when I decided to change jobs

Unit 14

a/an/the

We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ to describe what something is:

It’s a dogIt’s a hammerit’s an apple

‘an’ is used before a vowel sound : an orange, an umbrella, but a uniform

(we hear ‘y’ like “you-niform”)

naming a person’s job, we use ‘a’ or ‘an’

She’s a secretary (not she’s secretary)

When there are many, we use ‘a’ or ‘an’

Is there a bank near here? (there are a lot of banks, I want to know if there is one

near)

When there is only one, or it is clear which one we mean, we use ‘the’

You’ll need to see the secretary (in this company, there is only one secretary)

I have to go the bank at lunchtime (my bank)

London is the capital of Britain (there is only one capital of Britain)

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