Make Articles Agree With Nouns

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The definite article (the) is used for both singular and plural nouns, so agreement is not a problem with the definite article. However, because the use of the indefinite article is different for singular and plural nouns, you must be careful of agreement between the indefinite article and the noun. One very common agreement error is to use the singular indefinite article (a or an) with a plural noun.

He saw a* new movies.
They traveled to a* nearby mountains.
Do you have another* books?

In these examples, you should not have a or an because the nouns are plural. The following sentences are possible corrections of the sentences above.

He saw a new movie. (singular)
He saw new movies. (plural)
They traveled to a nearby mountain. (singular)
They traveled to nearby mountains. (plural)
Do you have another book? (singular)
Do you have other books? (plural)

The following chart states the key point for you to remember about the agreement of articles with nouns:

AGREEMENT OF ARTICLES WITH NOUNS You should never use a or an with a plural noun.

Exercise

Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:

Each of the following sentences contains a or an. Circle each a or an. Draw an arrow to the noun it describes. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

She went to school in a local community.
The doctor used an other pills.
It is necessary to have a farm or land of your own.
He must contact a members of the club.
You will need a pen or a pencil.
He is responsible for bringing a number of items.
You must write a report on a subjects of your choice.
They crossed through several forests and a stream.
There will be another important lessons tomorrow.
He could not give me a good reasons for what he did.

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