Here's the breakdown:
* Articles are a type of determiner, words that specify which noun is being referred to.
* English has two types of articles:
* Definite article: "the" (refers to a specific noun already known)
* Indefinite articles: "a" and "an" (refers to any noun from a general group)
Here are some examples of articles in sentences:
* "The" cat sat on the mat. (Both "the" are definite articles)
* "A" dog chased a ball. (Both "a" are indefinite articles)
* "An" apple a day keeps the doctor away. ("An" is an indefinite article)
To summarize: Articles are words, not things that have examples. The examples are the actual words that fall into the category of articles.