Learning to use articles correctly is an important part of English grammar for Class 3 students. Articles help us talk about nouns clearly and correctly. In the ICSE curriculum, students learn to use a, an, and the with proper rules. This blog explains these rules in a simple way and gives many worksheets to practice—some easy, some tricky!
1. What Are Articles?
Articles are small but important words used before nouns.
There are three articles in English:
1. a
Used before singular nouns that begin with a consonant sound.
Example: a cat, a boy, a table
2. an
Used before singular nouns that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
Example: an apple, an egg, an umbrella
3. the
Used before:
- a specific person or thing
- something unique
- names of rivers, oceans, mountains, holy books, newspapers
- something already mentioned
Examples:
• the sun, the moon
• the Bible, the Times of India
• the Ganga
• the same boy we saw yesterday
2. Rules to Remember (Class 3 Level)
✔ Use a before words starting with consonant sounds:
a bag, a girl, a star
✔ Use an before words starting with vowel sounds:
an ox, an inkpot
✔ Tricky point:
It depends on sound, not letter:
- an hour (because h is silent → sounds like “our”)
- a uniform (because u sounds like “you”)
- a one-rupee coin (because one starts with a “w” sound)
✔ Use the when referring to something special or known:
the red dress we bought, the tallest building, the Himalayas
3. Worksheets
These worksheets are perfect for Class 3 ICSE students and include tricky questions for deeper understanding.
Worksheet 1 – Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the
- I saw a dog in the park. (Answer: a)
- She wants to eat an orange. (Answer: an)
- Rohan found an umbrella under the table. (Answer: an)
- The Sun rises in the east. (Answer: the)
- My father bought a new bicycle for me. (Answer: a)
- We visited the Taj Mahal last year. (Answer: the)
- He is reading an interesting book. (Answer: an)
- Please pass me the salt. (Answer: the)
- She has a pet rabbit. (Answer: a)
- Rahul met an old friend at school. (Answer: an)
Worksheet 2: Choose the Correct Article
- She wants to buy ___ pencil. → a
- He adopted ___ owl from the rescue center. → an
- ___ Nile is a famous river. → The
- I kept ___ apple on the table. → an
- We saw ___ unicorn in the movie. → a (because “yu” sound)
- ___ Earth moves around ___ Sun. → The, the
- He is ___ honest boy. → an
- I saw ___ butterfly sitting on ___ flower. → a, a
- Riya is eating ___ ice cream. → an
- Please close ___ door. → the
Worksheet 3: Identify and Correct the Wrong Article
- She is eating a ice cream. → Correct: She is eating an ice cream.
- Ramu met an European lady. → Correct: Ramu met a European lady.
- I saw an big elephant. → Correct: I saw a big elephant.
- The boys are playing in a playground. → Correct: The boys are playing in the playground.
- We saw the rainbow yesterday. (Correct as is)
- My sister wants an new dress. → Correct: My sister wants a new dress.
- He lives in an hut. → Correct: He lives in a hut.
- We adopted a orphan puppy. → Correct: We adopted an orphan puppy.
Worksheet 4: Insert Articles in the Sentences
- Raju bought (a) pencil and (an) eraser.
- We saw (the) India Gate during our trip.
- She kept (an) onion on (the) kitchen counter.
- My mother is reading (a) storybook.
- (The) Himalayas are covered with snow.
- I saw (a) star-shaped balloon in (the) shop.
- He waited for (an) hour at the bus stop.
- She wore (a) beautiful dress to (the) party.
Worksheet 5: Tough Challenge – Choose Where Articles Are Needed
- Ravi found (an) old coin in (the) garden.
- (The) lion is called (the) king of (the) jungle.
- She wants (a) cup of tea.
- My grandmother told me (an) amazing story.
- We visited (the) museum yesterday.
- I kept book on table. → I kept (the) book on (the) table.
- They saw owl on tree. → They saw (an) owl on (the) tree.
Worksheet 6: Picture-Based Article Practice (Imaginative)
- In the picture, I can see a boy holding an umbrella. (Answer: a, an)
- There is a cat sitting on the chair. (Answer: a, the)
- The sky looks dark because of the clouds. (Answer: the, the)
Worksheet 7: Rewrite the Sentences Using Correct Articles
- I saw elephant in zoo.
- → I saw an elephant in the zoo.
- Girl is eating apple.
- → The girl is eating an apple.
- He bought umbrella from market.
- → He bought an umbrella from the market.
- Sun is shining brightly.
- → The Sun is shining brightly.
Worksheet 8 (Advanced): Fill in a/an/the or write (X) if no article is needed
- I like to drink ___ water. → X
- She saw ___ eagle flying high. → an
- ___ Pacific Ocean is very deep. → The
- He is learning to play ___ guitar. → the
- They adopted ___ puppy yesterday. → a
- ___ gold is a precious metal. → X
Articles may be small, but they play a big role in forming correct sentences. With enough practice, Class 3 students can easily master their usage. The above worksheets offer a mix of basic, tricky, and challenging questions to improve accuracy and confidence.
