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2nd Grade Articles (A, An, The) Worksheets

A, an, and the are articles, the small words that come before nouns. Second graders practice the a/an choice: a goes before consonant sounds (a dog, a banana) and an goes before vowel sounds (an egg, an umbrella). Saying the phrase out loud almost always reveals the answer.

Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core L.1.1.h. One skill per page, answer key on page two.

Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.

A sample 2nd grade sheet. Yours will have different sentences. Click it to print your own.

The kind of sentences you'll get

Circle the letter of the article that fits the sentence.

  1. I ate ______ plum. a · an

    Answer: a

  2. I need ______ pen. an · a
  3. He ate ______ ice pop. a · an

Every print draws a fresh mix of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

This is an ear skill before it's a rule. Have your student read the sentence aloud both ways; "a apple" trips the tongue, and that stumble is the lesson. Once they trust their ear, name the rule: a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds. Keep the sound-versus-letter surprises out of it for now.

Watch for: It's the sound that decides, not the letter. We say an hour because hour starts with a vowel sound (like our), and a unicorn because unicorn starts with a y-sound. The works for anything specific, but a and an only go with one of something you could count.

Common questions about articles (a, an, the)

When do you use a and when do you use an?
Listen to the next word. If it starts with a consonant sound, use a (a bike, a sandwich). If it starts with a vowel sound, use an (an ant, an igloo). Reading the phrase out loud is the most reliable check at this age; the wrong one simply sounds bumpy.
Why does English even have a and an?
Comfort. Two vowel sounds in a row (a apple) are awkward to say, so English keeps the n before vowel sounds to smooth the ride. Kids like knowing the rule exists for their mouth, not for the teacher; it makes the choice feel sensible instead of arbitrary.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core L.1.1.h. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.