Are there any simple rules for choosing the definite vs. indefinite (vs. none) article?

Question

I can’t for the life of me figure out where to use _a_ and where to use _the_ — and where there is no article at all. Is there a simple rule of thumb to memorize? The standard rule you always hear: > “If a person knows which item you are talking about then use "the" . . . doesn’t clear things up for me, as I have no idea whether or not they know.

Answer 1

One way to remember the difference between the two is that the definitive article (the) refers to a specific noun while indefinite articles (a, an,) refers to non-specific nouns. For example: "I want a pen." In this case the speaker will take any pen that's available. However, if the speaker says "I want the pen," then that changes the meaning because the speaker is looking for a specific pen. Hope that helps!