Sentence structure: Noun phrases: a red apple

A noun phrase is a noun with the small words in front of it: a red apple, my little brother. They all go before the noun, just like in Turkish.

Bring the pieces together

In this chapter

The order
Noun phrase: My new shoes are blue.
a / an / the
a / an = one, any one (mentioned for the first time). Use an before a vowel sound: an apple, an egg. the = the one we both know: the sun, the book on the table.
The phrase moves as one piece
The adjective goes before the noun, as in Turkish. the often matches the Turkish ending -ı (arabayı).
Example: My little brother loves the red car.
Example: I want an orange.
When do we use the?
We mention it for the first time → a dog.
Example: I saw a dog in the park.
Example: The dog was very friendly.
Plurals and possession
In Turkish the noun stays singular after a number; in English it takes -s.
Example: two cats
Example: three children
Tip
a or an? Look at the sound, not the letter: an hour (the h is silent), a uniform (it starts with a “yoo” sound).

Position 4 of 7 chapters at Pre-A1.