In other words, we use articles to point out or refer to nouns in conversation and writing. If you are referring to a specific noun, use the definite article ‘the’. If you are referring to a noun that could be any member of a group of nouns, use one of the indefinite articles ‘a’ or ‘an’.
Put simply, an article is a word that combines with a noun. Articles are actually adjectives because they describe the nouns that they precede. In English, there are only three articles: the, a, and an. However, the three are not interchangeable; rather, they are used in specific instances.
We do not use articles before plural countable nouns used in a general sense. Note that plural nouns take the article the when they are used in a particular sense. We do not use articles before the names of countries, people, continents, cities, rivers and lakes.
