Here's a breakdown:
* Definite Article: "the" - refers to a specific noun already known or understood.
* Indefinite Articles: "a" and "an" - refer to any one of a group of things.
* Zero Article: This is the absence of an article. It's used before:
* Proper nouns: (e.g., "Paris," "John," "Asia")
* Plural nouns: (e.g., "cats," "books")
* Uncountable nouns: (e.g., "water," "information," "furniture")
* Some other cases: (e.g., "go to school," "play tennis")
So, while "the" and "a/an" are the most commonly known articles, the concept of articles includes the zero article as well.