Grammar · A1

Articles: a, an and the

Order one thing. Then say which thing you mean.

I would like an egg, please.

01 · The idea

Look. Compare these examples.

Order one thing. Then say which thing you mean.

02 · More examples

Look at what changes.

One new item

One item: a sandwich, an egg. Listen to the first sound.

I'd like a sandwich, please.

Can I have an egg?

An orange. A banana.

Now we know which one

First: a sandwich. The same sandwich again: the sandwich.

I ordered a sandwich. The sandwich is ready.

Here is an egg. The egg is on your plate.

There is one menu on this table. Pass the menu, please.

Food and drink in general

For food in general, say bread, water or eggs, without a or an.

Bread goes well with soup.

Water is important.

Eggs are food.

Look a little closer

Listen to the sound

The first sound matters. Useful starts with a y sound. The h in hour is silent.

A useful menu. An hour for lunch.

One job: She is a chef. He is an assistant.

At a café

People also say a coffee to mean a cup of coffee.

A coffee, please. = A cup of coffee, please.

Coffee in general: I like coffee. This cup: The coffee is hot.

03 · Build a sentence

Make a choice. See what changes.

Change one choice at a time. Watch the sentence blocks.

Here is an egg.

One new item.

Do we know which one?

What?

04 · Try it together

Choose the correct answer.

Quick check 1

I'd like ___ sandwich.

Words: a or an.

Quick check 2

I ordered a sandwich. ___ sandwich is ready.

Quick check 3

Choose the sentence about bread in general.

05 · Real-life English

Use it in a conversation.

Order, then collect

A: I'd like a sandwich, please. B: Here is the sandwich you ordered. A: Thank you. Can I have an orange too?

Choose one item from the café menu. Order it with a/an. Your partner brings it and uses the.

Which cup?

A: I have a cup of tea. B: Is the cup blue? A: Yes. The tea in this cup is hot.

Choose a cup and a drink. Introduce the cup, then talk about the same cup again.

06 · Common mistakes

Which sentence is correct?

07 · Keep this

The lesson in three small steps.

One new item

A sandwich. An egg. Listen to the first sound.

Now we know which one

I ordered a sandwich. The sandwich is ready.

Food and drink in general

I like bread. I like eggs. Food in general: no a/an.

08 · Practice

Ready to try?

Choose mixed practice or one type of activity.

Multiple ChoiceChoose the answer →Fill in the BlanksType the missing word →Sentence OrderingPut the words in order →

Choose Practice Mode or Test Mode on the next page. Mixed sessions: 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 questions. The same five sizes are available for each activity type.