Year 3 English: Determiners and a or an
Part of the Year 3 English word classes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Determiners and a or an
A determiner comes before a noun. It tells us which one or how many. The words the, a and an are determiners, and so are this, that, these, those, my, your, his, her, its, our, their, every, each and some.
The simple test: put a noun after the word. This kite and those oranges make sense, so this and those are determiners.
Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound, such as the sound at the start of apple. Use a before a word that starts with a consonant sound, such as the sound at the start of dog. Choose by the first sound, not the first letter.
| Use | When | Example words |
|---|---|---|
| an | before a vowel sound (the sounds at the start of up, egg, on, eye) | an apple, an egg, an orange, an hour |
| a | before a consonant sound (the sounds at the start of dog, hat, you) | a dog, a horse, a unicorn, a university |
Key ideas
- A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many: this kite, my bag, every child.
- The, a and an are determiners.
- Use an before a vowel sound: an egg, an hour.
- Use a before a consonant sound: a horse, a unicorn.
Method. Find the job of This in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.This kite is my favourite toy.
- Ask the test question. A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many.Look at the word after This. A determiner comes before a noun, and it says which one or how many.
- Write the answer. determiner
Check. Check the job of This once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a determiner.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Those oranges are sweet.
- Pick out the determiners. Each determiner does the job that the chapter describes.Those
- Write the answer. Those
Check. Each word in the answer is a determiner. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.egg: The first sound is the vowel sound at the start of egg.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.an egg
- Write the answer. an
Check. Read the phrase aloud: an egg. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Watch out
Watch out: the letter is not the rule, the sound is. Say an hour, not a hour, because the h in hour is silent. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn, because unicorn starts with a y sound, as in you.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Make a list of words that start with a vowel sound and words that start with a consonant sound. Say each one with a or an in front. Ask your child to explain what the first sound is.
Exercise 3G Practice: determiners and a or an
Method. Find the job of my in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.This kite is my favourite toy.
- Ask the test question. A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many.Look at the word after my. A determiner comes before a noun, and it says which one or how many.
- Write the answer. determiner
Check. Check the job of my once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find the job of Those in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.Those oranges are sweet.
- Ask the test question. A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many.Look at the word after Those. A determiner comes before a noun, and it says which one or how many.
- Write the answer. determiner
Check. Check the job of Those once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find the job of his in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.Ben lost his coat.
- Ask the test question. A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many.Look at the word after his. A determiner comes before a noun, and it says which one or how many.
- Write the answer. determiner
Check. Check the job of his once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find the job of Some in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.Some children stayed in the hall.
- Ask the test question. A determiner comes before a noun and says which one or how many.Look at the word after Some. A determiner comes before a noun, and it says which one or how many.
- Write the answer. determiner
Check. Check the job of Some once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a determiner.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Every child brought a packed lunch.
- Pick out the determiners. Each determiner does the job that the chapter describes.Every, a
- Write the answer. Every, a
Check. Each word in the answer is a determiner. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a determiner.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Their dog barked at an odd noise.
- Pick out the determiners. Each determiner does the job that the chapter describes.Their, an
- Write the answer. Their, an
Check. Each word in the answer is a determiner. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a determiner.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Each pupil needs a pencil.
- Pick out the determiners. Each determiner does the job that the chapter describes.Each, a
- Write the answer. Each, a
Check. Each word in the answer is a determiner. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a determiner.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.An elephant is a huge animal.
- Pick out the determiners. Each determiner does the job that the chapter describes.An, a
- Write the answer. An, a
Check. Each word in the answer is a determiner. ✓
Watch out. A determiner comes before a noun: my bag, every child, a bag.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.unicorn: The first sound is the "y" sound at the start of you. That is a consonant sound.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.a unicorn
- Write the answer. a
Check. Read the phrase aloud: a unicorn. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.hour: The h is silent, so the first sound is the vowel sound at the start of our.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.an hour
- Write the answer. an
Check. Read the phrase aloud: an hour. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.owl: The first sound is the vowel sound at the start of owl.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.an owl
- Write the answer. an
Check. Read the phrase aloud: an owl. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.horse: The first sound is the h sound at the start of hat. That is a consonant sound.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.a horse
- Write the answer. a
Check. Read the phrase aloud: a horse. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.university: The first sound is the same "y" sound as at the start of you. That is a consonant sound.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.a university
- Write the answer. a
Check. Read the phrase aloud: a university. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.umbrella: The first sound is the vowel sound at the start of up.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.an umbrella
- Write the answer. an
Check. Read the phrase aloud: an umbrella. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.European: The first sound is the "y" sound at the start of you. That is a consonant sound.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.a European
- Write the answer. a
Check. Read the phrase aloud: a European. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word.
- Look at the first sound of the word. The article depends on the first sound, not on the first letter.idea: The first sound is the vowel sound at the start of eye.
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound, and a before a consonant sound.an idea
- Write the answer. an
Check. Read the phrase aloud: an idea. ✓
Watch out. Say a unicorn, not an unicorn. Say an hour, not a hour.
Method. Look at the first sound of unicorn, not the first letter.
- Look at unicorn. Unicorn starts with the y sound at the start of you, which is a consonant sound.unicorn
- Choose the article. Use a before a consonant sound.a unicorn
- Write the answer. a unicorn
Check. Say it: a unicorn. ✓
Watch out. The letter u does not decide it; the y sound does.
Method. Look at the first sound of hour.
- Look at hour. The h is silent, so hour starts with the vowel sound at the start of our.hour
- Choose the article. Use an before a vowel sound.an hour
- Write the answer. an hour
Check. Say it: an hour. ✓
Watch out. The h is silent, so use an.
Method. Check what comes after the word.
- Look at an. An comes before honest mistake, which is a noun phrase.an honest mistake
- Check the job. A determiner comes before a noun phrase and says which one.an: determiner
- Write the answer. an, because it comes before the noun phrase honest mistake
Check. An comes before the noun phrase. ✓
Watch out. Honest is an adjective; mistake is the noun.
Method. Check whether each word comes before a noun and says which one or how many.
- Look at this, those, my and every. Each comes before a noun: this kite, those oranges, my bag, every child.this, those, my, every
- Look at happy. Happy describes a noun, so it is an adjective, not a determiner.happy: adjective
- Write the answer. this, those, my, every
Check. Four determiners, and one adjective. ✓
Watch out. Determiners come before a noun.
Method. Look at the first sound, not the first letter.
- Look at hour. The h in hour is silent, so the first sound is a vowel sound.hour
- Choose the article. We use an before a vowel sound, so the phrase is an hour.an hour
- Write the answer. No. Hour has a silent h, so it starts with a vowel sound. We write an hour.
Check. Say it: an hour. ✓
Watch out. Words with a silent h, such as honest and hour, take an.
Method. Put each determiner before a noun.
- Use every. Every comes before the noun child.every child
- Use an. An comes before the noun apple, and apple starts with a vowel sound.an apple
- Write the answer. Any correct sentence, for example: Every child ate an apple.
Check. Every and an come before nouns. ✓
Watch out. Check the first sound of the noun after an.