Common Grammar Mistakes: Correct Usage of Articles

Articles are an essential part of English grammar as they help specify the noun they precede. However, there are some common mistakes that people often make when using articles. In this article, we will discuss one such mistake: the incorrect usage of articles.

The Mistake: Using "a" instead of "an" or vice versa

One common mistake is the confusion between the indefinite articles "a" and "an." While both of these articles are used to refer to something non-specific, the choice between them depends on the sound that follows the article.

• "A" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
• "An" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound.

For example:

• Correct: I bought a book.
• Correct: She is an honest person.
• Incorrect: I saw an apple tree.
• Incorrect: He is a European citizen.

In the incorrect examples above, "an" should have been used before "apple" and "a" should have been used before "European" because of the initial sound of the following word.

Linguix Grammar Checker can help you avoid such errors by highlighting incorrect usage of articles and suggesting the correct ones.