Definition

Used before a word to mean one single thing or person.

Example

"She has a cat."

"I saw a monkey climbing the tree in the park yesterday."

"A teacher helped her understand the question that she found very difficult in class."

Explanation

“A” is the first letter of the alphabet. It is also used as a word to mean “one” of something (here it called an “Article”). For example, “a book” means one book. We use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound. We use “a” when we talk about something for the first time or when we don’t know exactly which one. For example, “I saw a bird” (we don’t know which bird). You will see “a” used in everyday English all the time.