UpdatesTOEFL Article Usage: A, An, The Rules for Build a Sentence
TOEFL articles (a, an, the) are among the most challenging TOEFL grammar concepts for English learners[4]—and they're frequently tested in the TOEFL 2026 Build a Sentence task[1]. One wrong article placement means zero points[2]. Master these essential grammar rules to arrange articles correctly every time and boost your TOEFL writing score.
Watch: English Articles Explained
Complete guide to using a, an, and the correctly in English
Why Articles Matter in Build a Sentence
In the TOEFL 2026 format, the Build a Sentence task often includes articles like "the," "a," and "an" among the scrambled words. You must know exactly where to place them—before the noun they modify. There's no partial credit: wrong placement = zero points.
In This Guide
Article Basics: A vs An vs The
English has three articles: a, an, and the. These small words carry big meaning—they tell the listener whether you're talking about something specific or general.
Indefinite Articles: A / An
Use when talking about any member of a group or introducing something for the first time.
- • "I saw a movie yesterday." (any movie)
- • "She's an engineer." (one of many)
- • "I need a pen." (any pen will do)
Definite Article: The
Use when talking about a specific thing that both speaker and listener know about.
- • "I saw the movie you recommended." (specific)
- • "The engineer fixed it." (we know which one)
- • "Pass me the pen." (specific pen visible)
Quick Decision Tree
Is this noun countable and singular? → You need an article (a/an/the)
Is the noun specific and known to both parties? → Use the
Is it general or first mention? → Use a or an
Does the next word start with a vowel sound? → Use an
Indefinite Articles: A vs An
The choice between a and an depends entirely on the sound that follows—not the spelling.
The Sound Rule
A before consonant sounds | An before vowel sounds
Use "A" Before:
- a book (b sound)
- a university (y sound)
- a European city (y sound)
- a one-way street (w sound)
- a useful tool (y sound)
Use "An" Before:
- an apple (a sound)
- an hour (silent h)
- an honest person (silent h)
- an MBA degree (em sound)
- an umbrella (u sound)
Tricky Cases to Memorize
Starts with vowel, uses "A":
- • a university (yoo- sound)
- • a unique opportunity
- • a European country
- • a one-time event
Starts with consonant, uses "An":
- • an hour (silent h)
- • an honor (silent h)
- • an heir (silent h)
- • an FBI agent (ef- sound)
When to Use A/An
- 1. First mention: "I saw a dog in the park."
- 2. One of many: "She's an excellent teacher."
- 3. Jobs/professions: "He's a doctor."
- 4. Rates/per: "Once a week" / "$5 an hour"
- 5. After "what" in exclamations: "What a beautiful day!"
The Definite Article: The
"The" is the most common word in English. It signals that the noun following it is specific—something both speaker and listener can identify.
The Key Question
Ask yourself: "Which one?" If both you and your listener know which specific thing you're referring to, use the.
When to Use "The"
1. Second mention (already introduced)
"I bought a book. The book was expensive."
2. Only one exists
"The sun is bright today." / "The moon is full."
3. Superlatives
"She's the best student in the class."
4. Made specific by context/modifier
"The book on the table" / "The woman I met yesterday"
5. Shared knowledge
"Please close the door." (both people know which door)
6. Groups, nationalities, instruments
"The French" / "play the piano"
- "I need a help." (uncountable)
- "A sun is shining." (only one)
- "She's a best student." (superlative)
- "I need Ø help." (no article)
- "The sun is shining."
- "She's the best student."
Zero Article (No Article)
Sometimes no article is needed at all. This is called the zero article. Build a Sentence items may test whether you know when to leave an article out.
Zero Article Rule
Use no article with plural nouns and uncountable nounswhen making general statements.
When to Use No Article
1. General plural nouns
"Ø Dogs are loyal animals." (dogs in general)
2. General uncountable nouns
"Ø Water is essential for life." / "Ø Information is power."
3. Proper nouns (names)
"Ø John lives in Ø Paris."
4. Languages and subjects
"I study Ø English and Ø mathematics."
5. Meals, sports, transport (general)
"I had Ø breakfast." / "play Ø tennis" / "by Ø bus"
Articles in TOEFL Build a Sentence
In Build a Sentence, articles often appear as separate word choices. Here's how to handle them:
Article Placement Strategy
Step 1: Identify all nouns
Find the nouns among the scrambled words
Step 2: Check context
Look at the context sentence—has this noun been mentioned before?
Step 3: Place article BEFORE the noun
Articles always come before the noun (and any adjectives)
Step 4: Check a vs an
Listen to the sound of the word following the article
Example: Build a Sentence with Articles
Context:
"What was the highlight of your trip?"
Scrambled Words:
Correct Answer:
"The tour guides who showed us around the old city were fantastic."
Why "The"?
- • "The tour guides" - specific guides from "your trip"
- • "the old city" - specific city they visited
Practice Examples
Test your article knowledge with these Build a Sentence style exercises. For more comprehensive TOEFL grammar practice, check out our TOEFL writing templates.
Practice 1
Context: "How was your first day at work?"
Reveal Answer
"It was an amazing experience."
Why "an"? The word "amazing" starts with a vowel sound (a-).
Practice 2
Context: "I heard you visited the new library."
Reveal Answer
"Yes, the building was beautiful."
Why "the"? The library was already mentioned—it's specific.
Practice 3
Context: "What do you think about online learning?"
Reveal Answer
"I think it is a useful tool."
Why "a" and not "an"? "Useful" starts with a "y" sound (yoo-sful).
Practice 4
Context: "How often do you exercise?"
Reveal Answer
"I go jogging for an hour every day."
Why "an"? "Hour" has a silent 'h'—it sounds like "our."
Common Article Errors to Avoid
These article mistakes are among the most common grammar errors that cost TOEFL points. Learn to recognize and avoid them.
Error 1: Using "A" Before Vowel Sounds
Wrong
"It was a honest mistake."
Correct
"It was an honest mistake."
Remember: "Honest" has a silent H, so it starts with a vowel sound.
Error 2: Using "An" Before Consonant Sounds
Wrong
"She attends an university."
Correct
"She attends a university."
Remember: "University" starts with a "yoo" sound (consonant).
Error 3: Missing "The" with Superlatives
Wrong
"She is Ø best teacher."
Correct
"She is the best teacher."
Superlatives always need "the"—there's only one "best."
Error 4: Using Article with Uncountable Nouns
Wrong
"I need an information."
Correct
"I need Ø information." / "I need some information."
"Information," "advice," "help" are uncountable—don't use a/an.
Quick Reference: Article Rules
A / An
- • First mention
- • Any member of group
- • A = consonant sound
- • An = vowel sound
The
- • Second mention
- • Only one exists
- • Superlatives
- • Specific & known
No Article
- • General plurals
- • Uncountable (general)
- • Proper nouns
- • Languages, meals
Practice Articles in Build a Sentence
Get instant AI feedback on article usage and all grammar patterns for TOEFL 2026.
Start PracticeReferences & Further Reading
- 2026 TOEFL Format Revealed — TOEFL Resources Blog (Accessed: January 2026)
- TOEFL iBT Test Content and Structure — ETS Official Website (Accessed: January 2026)
- Articles: A Complete Grammar Guide — Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Accessed: January 2026)
- Using Articles in English — Grammarly (Accessed: January 2026)
- English Articles Guide — EnglishClub (Accessed: January 2026)
External links open in a new tab. Writing30 is not affiliated with the linked sources.