Word: a

Pronunciation

/ə/

Definitions

• Determiner: Used to refer to a singular, non-specific item or person. For example: “I saw a cat on my way home.”
• Indefinite Article: Precedes a noun to indicate that there is only one of something, but it is not a particular one identified. For example: “There is a car parked outside.”

Phrases

• “A bit” means to some extent or a small amount. For example: “I’m feeling a bit tired today.”
• “A lot of” indicates a large quantity or number of something. For example: “There are a lot of people at the concert.”
• “As a rule” suggests that something usually happens or is done. For example: “As a rule, we don’t work on Sundays.”

Example Sentences

• Determiner: “She picked up a book from the shelf.”
• Indefinite Article: “He wants to buy a house in the countryside.”

Notes

The word “a” does not have traditional synonyms since it is an article and serves a grammatical function rather than having a direct meaning that can be replaced by another word. Its usage is fundamental to the structure of English sentences but isn’t interchangeable like adjectives, nouns, or verbs would be.