The adjectives a, an, and the are called articles.
Use a before a word that begins with a consonant sound.
The monkey is eating a banana.
I borrowed a book from the library.
The bat is a nocturnal animal.
Use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound.
The horse is eating an apple.
An owl has big eyes.
Can you cut an orange for me please?
Use the before a word that begins with a consonat or a vowel. We use the when we are talking about a specific or particular noun.
Where is the fair going to be this summer?
I only want to eat the strawberries in the basket.
Let's go to the new ice cream store later.