Grade 1, English Olympiad (CBSE) - Articles

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Grade 1 | English | Articles, Articles, Olympiad, CBSE, ICSE, Maths Olympiad, Science Olympiad, English Olympiad

Articles — Grade 1 (a, an, the)

Articles are tiny helper words that come before nouns. They point to one thing (a, an) or a particular thing (the).

What are articles?

a

Use before a consonant sound.

a cata baga red ball

an

Use before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).

an applean eggan umbrella

the

Use for something specific or unique.

the sunthe moonthe Taj Mahal

A vs. An — follow the sound

Use a when it starts with a consonant sound

a dog, a toy, a yellow balloon
a unicorn (starts with “yoo” sound ? consonant sound)

Use an when it starts with a vowel sound

an orange, an ice-cream
an hour (silent h ? “our” sound)

Tip: Say the word aloud. If it begins with a vowel sound (a/e/i/o/u), use an. Otherwise, use a.

Using “the”

One special thing

Please pass the book on the table.

Unique things

the sunthe moonthe sky

Famous names

the Taj Mahalthe Gangathe Himalayas

When no article is needed (Grade-1 friendly)

Talking in general (plural)

Cats like milk. (Not “The cats”, unless you mean some specific cats.)

Names of people & places

Ria lives in Delhi. (No article before names like Ria, Delhi.)

Quick chart (look up fast!)

Noun / Phrase	Correct article	Why?
___ apple	an apple	Vowel sound (a).
___ cat	a cat	Consonant sound (c).
___ umbrella	an umbrella	Vowel sound (“uh”).
___ unicorn	a unicorn	“yoo” sound ? consonant sound.
___ hour	an hour	Silent h ? vowel sound.
___ sun	the sun	Unique thing.
___ Taj Mahal	the Taj Mahal	Famous/specific name.
___ oranges	— or the	General: no article. Specific: use the.

Picture cards

Common mistakes (quick fixes)

Letters vs. sounds

We choose by sound! a unicorn ? “yoo” ? a

Forgetting “the” for unique things

Write: the sun / the moon

Adding “the” before names

Do not write “the Ria” or “the Delhi”.

General vs. specific

Oranges are sweet. (general) • The oranges in my bag (specific)

Try it (mini practice)

Fill in the blanks

(a / an / the)

Ria ate ___ orange.
Please open ___ door.
I have ___ yellow pencil.
We saw ___ Taj Mahal.
Dad waited for ___ hour.

Answers: an, the, a, the, an

Choose the correct sentence

A. I saw a elephant.
B. I saw an elephant.
C. I saw the elephant sun.

Answer: B

MCQ Practice (5 Questions)

Choose the correct article: “I have ___ umbrella.”
- A. a
- B. an
- C. the
- D. no article
Answer & Explanation
B an umbrella — starts with a vowel sound.
Which sentence is correct?
- A. We saw the sun.
- B. We saw a sun.
- C. We saw an sun.
- D. We saw sun.
Answer & Explanation
A The sun is unique ? use the.
Fill the blank: “She is eating ___ ice-cream.”
- A. a
- B. an
- C. the
- D. no article
Answer & Explanation
B an ice-cream (starts with vowel sound “i”).
Choose the correct option: “Ravi has ___ red kite.”
- A. an
- B. a
- C. the
- D. no article
Answer & Explanation
B Consonant sound “r” ? a red kite.
Pick the best sentence.
- A. The Ria lives in the Delhi.
- B. Ria lives in Delhi.
- C. An Ria lives in a Delhi.
- D. Ria lives in the Delhi city.
Answer & Explanation
B Names of people/most cities don’t take an article.

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