A or An: Understanding the Difference

A or An: Understanding the Difference

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to differentiate between the use of 'a' and 'an' correctly.

Introduce the learning objective to the students. Let them know what they will be able to do by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about using 'a' and 'an'?

Introduction

The English language uses 'a' and 'an' as indefinite articles. They help us refer to non-specific nouns.

Explain the purpose of 'a' and 'an' to the students. Provide examples to illustrate their usage.

Rule 1: Vowel Sounds

We use 'an' before words that begin with a vowel sound. For example, 'an apple', 'an hour'.

Explain the first rule to the students. Emphasize that it depends on the sound, not the actual letter.

Rule 2: Consonant Sounds

We use 'a' before words that begin with a consonant sound. For example, 'a car', 'a book'.

Introduce the second rule to the students. Clarify that it is about the sound, not the letter itself.

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the rules. For example, we say 'a university' instead of 'an university'.

Highlight the exceptions and explain why they exist. Encourage students to ask questions if they have any.

Practice 1

Choose the correct article: ___ umbrella or ___ apple?

Engage the students in a quick interactive exercise. Have them fill in the blanks with the appropriate article.

Practice 2

Fill in the blank: She bought ___ new car.

Continue the practice session with a sentence completion exercise. Encourage students to share their answers.

Common Mistakes

Some common mistakes include using 'a' before words starting with a vowel sound and 'an' before words starting with a consonant sound.

Discuss the common mistakes students make and explain why they are incorrect. Provide clear examples.

Review

Let's review what we've learned. Which article would you use before the word 'elephant'?

Summarize the main points covered in the lesson. Engage the students with a review question to test their understanding.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to use 'a' and 'an' correctly.

End the lesson by congratulating the students on their progress and reiterating the importance of using 'a' and 'an' correctly.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.