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- pronunciation:
- uh
[or]
eI
| part of speech: |
indefinite article |
| definition 1: |
"A" has a meaning like "any." When you use "a" before a word, you are talking about any one of some group or kind of thing. When you say "a cat," it means any cat of all the cats in the world, or it means any cat of a group of cats.
Can you ride a horse?A pencil is something to write with.The magician told her to pick a card. |
| definition 2: |
When you are talking about some particular thing of a group or kind but it's not important which one of that group it is, you use "a" before the word. If you say "I saw a friend of mine," you know which friend you saw, but it's not important right now which friend it is. You are just introducing the idea of this person or thing into the conversation.
We have a dog.A girl got on the bus and sat next to me.The neighbors bought a new car. |
| definition 3: |
"A" means "one." If you say "a cup of sugar," it means "one cup of sugar."
A hundred pennies equals a dollar. |
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