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Quantifiers for Countable Nouns – A, An, and One

Quantifiers for Countable Nouns – A, An, and One

Introduction

Quantifiers are words that help us describe how much or how many of something there is. In this lesson, we will talk about three common quantifiers for things we can count: a, an, and one. Let’s learn about them one by one.

“A” and “An”

“A” and “An” are called indefinite articles. We use them to talk about a single thing without saying exactly which one. 

Examples: 

  • I saw a dog in the park. (it doesn’t matter which dog.)
  • She bought a car yesterday. (it doesn’t matter which car.)

Remember, we use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an” before words that start with a vowel sound.

Examples:

  • There is a book on the table. (The word “book” starts with a consonant sound like buk) 
  • He is an honest person. (The word “honest” starts with a vowel sound like aw-nuhst)

The choice between “a” and “an” depends on the sound at the beginning of the word, rather than the actual letter used. For example, we say “university” (pronounced as “yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee”) because the “u” sound at the beginning is like a consonant sound. 

Note that the sound of the vowel “u” is “ooo” and not “yoo”.

“One”

“One” simply means the number one. We use it to emphasize that there is only one of something.

Examples:

  • There is one book on the table.
  • I have only one brother.
  • He has only one car.

When to use “a”, “an” or “one”?

In many sentences, “a,” “an,” and “one” can be used interchangeably. For example, “I have a book” can also be written as “I have one book” if the meaning is that the speaker doesn’t have more than one book. However, “I have one book” is clearer because it emphasizes the exact quantity.

There are some sentences where “a,” “an,” and “one” are not interchangeable. In these cases, one is more suitable than the others.

Examples:

  • A puppy is the cutest creature. (“A” refers to any puppy)
  • Only one puppy is the cutest creature. (This sentence has a different meaning. Out of all the puppies, exactly one puppy is the cutest)
  • A lion can roar louder than any other animal. (“A” refers to any lion)
  • One lion can roar louder than any other animal. (This sentence has a different meaning. Out of all the lions, exactly one lion can roar louder than others)

Quiz

Question 1
________ cat is sleeping on the couch.
a
an
one
No article
Next Question
Question 2
She bought ________ new dress for the party.
a
an
one
No article
Next Question
Question 3
_________ apple  a day keeps the doctor away.
a
an
one
No article
Next Question
Question 4
She has  _______ dog and _______ cat as pets.
a, an
an, an
one, one
no article, an
Next Question
Question 5
I saw ________ interesting documentary on TV.
a
an
one
no article
Next Question
Score: / 5
  1. ________ cat is sleeping on the couch.
    1. a ✅
    2. an
    3. one
    4. No article
    Explanation:

    we use ‘a’ before the noun “cat” because it starts with a consonant sound.

  2. She bought ________ new dress for the party.
    1. a ✅
    2. an
    3. one
    4. No article
    Explanation:

    we use ‘a’ before the noun “dress” because it starts with a consonant sound.

  3. _________ apple  a day keeps the doctor away.
    1. a
    2. an ✅
    3. one
    4. No article
    Explanation:

    we use ‘an’ before the noun “apple” because it starts with a vowel sound.

  4. She has  _______ dog and _______ cat as pets.
    1. a, an
    2. an, an
    3. one, one ✅
    4. no article, an
    Explanation:

    Since we are talking about one dog and one cat, we use “one” before each noun.

  5. I saw ________ interesting documentary on TV.
    1. a
    2. an ✅
    3. one
    4. no article
    Explanation:

    we use ‘an’ before “interesting” because it starts with a vowel sound.

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