You're telling a friend about your shopping trip. Drag the correct articles to show how we introduce something new vs. talk about it again.
Yesterday I bought a new phone. I love the phone — it has an amazing camera! I also got an hour of free tech support with it.
Yesterday I bought a new phone.
Use a (indefinite article) for first mention — your friend doesn't know which phone yet. It's new information!
I love the phone — it has an amazing camera!
Use the (definite article) for second mention — now your friend knows exactly which phone you mean.
I also got an hour of free tech support with it.
Use an before vowel sounds. "Hour" has a silent 'h', so it starts with the vowel sound /aʊ/.
Article
- ✅ an hour — ❌ a hour (vowel sound → an)
- ✅ a university — ❌ an university (consonant sound /j/ → a)
- ✅ I love coffee — ❌ I love the coffee (generic uncountable → zero article)
- ✅ the sun — ❌ a sun (unique referent → the)
Articles (a/an, the, and the zero article) signal whether a noun is specific or general. A/an introduces something new; the points to something already known or unique.
Pattern: a/an = "one of many, first mention." The = "you know which one." Zero article = generic or uncountable.
A2 | Elementary | Pre-intermediate
- ✅ I went to the cinema yesterday. — past simple
- ✅ I have visited Paris twice. — present perfect (life experience)
- ✅ If it rains, I'll take an umbrella. — first conditional
- ✅ You should see a doctor. — modal for advice
These patterns are A2 — the second CEFR level. At A2 you move past survival phrases into real grammar: past tenses, the present perfect, basic conditionals, and modals for advice/obligation.
Marker: if you can describe yesterday and give simple advice, but struggle with abstractions or nuance, you're at A2.
Medium
- If I were you, I would apologise. — one rule (second conditional), but distractors like was tempt you
- Answers require active thought, not instant pattern recognition
- Vocabulary and context are realistic, not artificially simplified
- Usually tests one rule, but the wrong answers are plausible
Medium marks middle-difficulty challenges: A2–B1, one rule tested, but with realistic distractors that require genuine understanding.
Use "Medium" when Easy feels too obvious but Hard feels overwhelming. This is where most productive learning happens — the sweet spot of difficulty.