A, An or The? Articles With Job Titles Explained

Articles are small words, but they cause big problems for English learners, especially when talking about jobs. In this video, you will learn a simple trick for using a, an and the with job titles. Start with the quiz: 'He is ___ CEO of the company.' The correct answer is 'the', because a company has only one CEO. Here is the rule. Use 'the' for unique positions, when only one person has that role: the CEO, the president, the head of marketing. Use 'a' when the person is one of many people with the same job: He is a project manager, she is a teacher. Use 'an' before words that start with a vowel sound: She is an accountant, he is an engineer. Remember, it is about the sound, not the letter. We say 'an hour' because the h is silent, but 'a university' because it starts with a y sound. This is why job titles like 'HR manager' can be tricky. Now it is your turn: 'She is ___ HR manager.' Think about the first sound you hear. Watch the video, check your answer, and share it in the comments to practice.