Word
a
Definition
adj. Used before a singular noun to show you are talking about any one of something, not a specific one. You use 'a' before words that start with a consonant sound, like 'a cat' or 'a big umbrella'.
adj. The indefinite article, used before a singular countable noun that is non-specific or being introduced for the first time. It precedes words that begin with a consonant sound.
Examples
“He is reading a book in the park.”
“To open a bank account, you typically need a passport or some other form of identification.”
“A commitment to scientific principles requires a willingness to abandon a cherished hypothesis when confronted with contradictory evidence.”
Examples
simple
“He is reading a book in the park.”
contextual
“To open a bank account, you typically need a passport or some other form of identification.”
complex
“A commitment to scientific principles requires a willingness to abandon a cherished hypothesis when confronted with contradictory evidence.”
Etymology
The letter name is from Middle English ā, from Old French, ultimately from Latin ā. Use of the Latin letter in (Old) English displaced the futhorc letter ᚪ (a) beginning in the 7th century, and partially also ᚫ (æ).
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an Middle English a English a From Middle English a, an, from Old English ān (“one; a; lone; sole”). More at one. The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century. Cognate with Alemannic German a (“a, an”), East Franconian a (“a, an”).
* From Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on. * Unstressed form of on.
From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven.
From Middle English a, a reduced form of he (“he”)/ha (“he”), heo (“she”)/ha (“she”), ha (“it”), and hie, hie (“they”).
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Germanic *ab Proto-West Germanic *ab Old English æf Old English of Middle English of English a From Middle English of, with apocope of the final f and vowel reduction.
From Northern Middle English aw, alteration of all.
Contraction of gonna, itself a reduction of going to; see Etymology 8 above (“to”).
Contraction of and.
Borrowed from Russian а (a).
From the common method of counting semiquavers as "one-e-and-a, two-e-and-a" and so on.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 3
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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