Company introductions: using 'a', 'an', and 'the'

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for A1 learners explores Company introductions: using 'a', 'an', and 'the' through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: Articles: a, an, the with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for answering 'what do you do?'
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study Articles: a, an, the — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for answering 'what do you do?' — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Cloze passage — Fill in blanks within a connected text to practise vocabulary in context.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• work for — to be an employee of a company
• based in — the main office is in a specific city or country
• make a product — to create something to sell
• provide a service — to do a job for customers, not sell a physical thing
• a team of — a group of people who work together

Grammar

This lesson focuses on Articles: a, an, the.

We use 'a', 'an', and 'the' before nouns, like 'company' or 'customer'. Use 'a' or 'an' when you talk about one thing for the first time. Use 'the' when you talk about a specific thing that we already know.

Examples from the lesson:

• I work for a company in Paris. — Use 'a' for one general thing. It is not a specific company.
• My company has an office in the city center. — Use 'an' because the next word, 'office', starts with a vowel sound.
• The company is very big. — Use 'the' because we are talking about the specific company from the first sentence.

Key rules:

• Use 'a' before words with a consonant sound (a big company).
• Use 'an' before words with a vowel sound (an important customer).
• Use 'the' for specific things (the manager of my team).

Practical English

Answering 'What do you do?'

When you meet new people, they often ask about your job. Here are some simple phrases to talk about your company and keep the conversation going.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "I'm a/an..."
• "I work in..."
• "We help people..."
• "It's a small/big company." — to describe the size of your company.
• "It's very interesting." — to give a positive opinion about your work.