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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A2

A, An or The? ESL Lesson Plan (A2, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A2 lesson on A, An or The?, built round the theme "The Dog in the Market".

  • CEFR A2
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Articles
  • A, An or The?

About this lesson

Who it is for. Elementary students who use a / an correctly but don't use the, or use the everywhere. Their stories are confusing: I saw dog. Dog took fish.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR A2 (Elementary)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run only "Story" of the two tasks in "Freer practice" and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking and writing
Language focus
Grammar: A, An or The? (First and Second Mention, Unique Things)
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (story: The Dog in the Market), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (town map and directions task), story picture prompts (drawn on the board or described).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To clarify and practise a / an for first mention and the for second mention, unique things and things both speakers know.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can tell a short story and give directions using a / an and the correctly.

  • Subsidiary aim. To develop fluency in telling a short picture story.
  • Subsidiary aim. To give and follow directions in a town.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Meaning and use

UseArticleExample
First mention (the listener doesn't know which one)a / anI saw a dog in the market.
Second mention (now the listener knows which one)theThe dog took a fish.
Unique things (there is only one)thethe sun, the moon, the sea, the sky, the internet
Shared knowledge (both speakers know which one)theCan you close the door? (the door in this room) Let's meet at the station. (our town's station)
Superlativesthethe biggest fish

Pronunciation

  • the /ðə/ before consonant sounds: the dog; /ði/ before vowel sounds: the apple, the end.

Concept-checking questions

  • I saw a dog. The dog was huge. In the first sentence, does the listener know which dog? (No.) · In the second sentence, do we know which dog? (Yes, the dog I just talked about.)
  • The sun is hot. How many suns are there? (One.) So a or the? (The.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
No article at all (Sun is hot).Board the "only one" rule with pictures.
the for first mention (I bought the new phone = any phone).Ask: "Does your friend know which phone?"
Pronunciation of the before vowels.Drill the apple, the old man.

Board plan

Left: picture storyCentre: rulesRight: pronunciation
1. a market · 2. a dog · 3. a fish stall · 4. the dog takes a fish · 5. the man chases the dog · 6. the fish lands in a basket
FIRST time → a / an: I saw a dog. · SECOND time → the: The dog took a fish. · ONLY ONE → the: the sun, the sea, the internet · WE BOTH KNOW → the: Close the door. Meet me at the station.
the /ðə/ + consonant: the dog · the /ði/ + vowel: the apple

CEFR A2 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: A, An or The?, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To create interest with a funny picture story.

Draw or describe six simple pictures on the board: a market; a dog; a fish stall; the dog taking a fish; a man chasing the dog; the fish landing in a woman's basket.

Ask: "What's happening? Is it funny?" Take ideas.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present a / an and the in a story and clarify first and second mention, unique things and shared knowledge.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the story. Is it the same as the pictures? Three minutes."

Students answer the three questions. Check as a class.

Part B: Noticing (4 minutes)

Say: "Circle every a / an. Underline every the." Pairs compare.

Part C: Clarification (10 minutes)

First and second mention. Board: I saw a dog. The dog was huge. Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis. Build the rule.

Unique things. Elicit the sun from the text. Ask: "How many suns are there?" Add the moon, the sea, the sky, the internet.

Shared knowledge. Ask: "The market: which market? Do the people in the story know?" (Yes, their local market.) Add Close the door. Meet me at the station.

Superlatives. Elicit the best day from the text.

Pronunciation. Drill the dog, the apple, the end, the old man.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise article choice.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: a, an or the. Exercise B: find and correct seven mistakes. Seven minutes."

Pairs explain each choice: "First time, so a."

Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs

Aim: To use articles accurately in storytelling and giving directions.

Story (6 minutes). Pairs retell the dog story without looking, then invent a new ending.

Directions (9 minutes). Give out Handout 3. Student A chooses a place on the map and gives directions from the bus station: "Go past the bank. There's a café next to the park." Student B follows and guesses the place. Swap.

ICQs: "Where do you start?" (The bus station.) "Do you say the name of the place?" (No, your partner guesses.)

Writing (3 minutes). Students write a 4-sentence mini-story at the bottom of Handout 3 using first and second mention.

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Two students read their mini-stories. The class checks each article.

Board errors from Stage 4; students correct them.

Set the homework.

Homework Write a funny 6-sentence story about an animal, using first and second mention correctly.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Give a decision flowchart: Is it the first time? → a / an. Do we know which one? → the. Provide the first sentence of each story.
Stretch
Stronger students explain each article choice to their partner. Add superlatives to the directions: the biggest temple, the oldest shop.

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Story" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Story" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

Students change from a to the on second mention in their stories. 12 out of 16 or better on Handout 2, Exercise A. Correct the with unique and shared-knowledge nouns.

Teacher's reflection

Were unique and shared-knowledge uses clear? Did the directions task produce accurate article use?

Handout 1: The Dog in the Market

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Read the story. Circle a / an. Underline the.

Last Saturday, I went to the market with my grandmother. The sun was very hot and the market was busy. There was a man with a bicycle, a woman with a big basket and an old man selling fruit.

Suddenly, I saw a dog. The dog was huge and very hungry. It walked to a fish stall and took a big fish! The man with the bicycle shouted, "Stop!" and chased the dog. The dog ran under a table and the fish flew into the air. Where did it land? In the woman's basket!

The woman laughed and gave the fish back to the fish seller. The dog didn't get a fish, but my grandmother bought it a bun. It was the best day at the market ever!

Answer the questions.

  • Who did the writer go to the market with? ______________________________
  • What did the dog take? ______________________________
  • Where did the fish land? ______________________________

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Complete with a, an or the.

B. Find and correct seven mistakes.

Yesterday I saw a film at cinema. Film was about a girl and a horse. Girl lived on farm near sea. One day, a horse ran away. It was a saddest day of her life.

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

  • I bought ______ new phone. ______ phone is black.
  • ______ moon is very bright tonight.
  • There's ______ old man at the door.
  • Can you close ______ window, please? It's cold.
  • We had ______ amazing holiday. ______ hotel was next to ______ sea.
  • I read ______ interesting article on ______ internet.
  • She has ______ cat and ______ dog. ______ cat is called Kitty.
  • ______ Mount Everest is ______ highest mountain in ______ world. (Careful!)

Handout 3: Town Map and Directions

Look at the map. Choose a place. Give your partner directions. Your partner guesses the place.

You are at the bus station.

Useful language: Go straight on. Turn left / right at the ... Go past the ... It's next to / opposite / between the ... and the ... There's a ... on the corner.

Write a 4-sentence mini-story. Use a / an the first time and the the second time.

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

the bankMain Streetthe post officethe temple
a caféthe parka bookshopthe bus station
the supermarketLake Roada pharmacythe school
the hospitala hotelthe marketa restaurant

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Yesterday I saw a film at the cinema. The film was about a girl and a horse. The girl lived on a farm near the sea. One day, the horse ran away. It was the saddest day of her life.

Common errors to watch for

  • Her / his grandmother · 2. A big fish · 3. In the woman's basket
  • a ... The · 2. The · 3. an · 4. the · 5. an ... The ... the · 6. an ... the · 7. a ... a ... The · 8. – (no article) ... the ... the
ErrorCorrection
Sun is hot.The sun is hot.
I saw a film. A film was great.I saw a film. The film was great.
Please open a door. (there is only one door)Please open the door.
It was a best day.It was the best day.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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