Articles : a and the

Study the following example.

There is a new hotel in my city.

The hotel is not very big but the architecture is very beautiful.

The indefinite article (a or an) is used with singular, countable

nouns to refer to a thing or an idea for the 􀃀 rst time.

• There is a new hotel in my city.

• The definite article (the) is used with singular and plural, countable and uncountable nouns when both the speaker and the listener know the thing or idea already.

• The hotel is not very big but the architecture is very beautiful. (the speaker and the listener know which hotel it is)

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII