Activities to Teach Students to Use the Correct Article: a or An
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As an English language learner, one of the biggest challenges is understanding when to use the correct article, “a” or “an”. If you’re a teacher trying to help your students overcome this hurdle, here are some activities you can try:
Picture sorting:
Gather a bunch of pictures of items that start with vowels (e.g. apple, elephant) and consonants (e.g. ball, car), and ask students to sort them into two groups: “a” and “an”. Have students explain why they chose a certain article.
Article race:
Set up a relay race where students have to bring you different items (e.g. a pen, an eraser) using the correct article. For example, if the item starts with a vowel, they have to say “an” and vice versa.
Big book of articles:
Create a class book where students bring in pictures of things they like or are interested in, and write a sentence about it using either “a” or “an”. You can keep adding to the book throughout the year.
Mad libs:
Create a Mad Libs-style story with missing articles that students have to fill in. For example, “___ dog chased ___ cat up ___ tree”. Students could work in pairs to create their own stories as well.
Article bingo:
Create bingo cards with different words and articles (e.g. “a ball”, “an umbrella”) and have students cross off the correct article as you call out each word. You can make multiple versions of the bingo card so that students have to really think about which article to use.
These activities are just a starting point – there are so many fun and creative ways to reinforce the proper use of “a” and “an” with your students. With a little practice, they’ll be well on their way to mastering English grammar!