Why do we say “a doctor” in English?

Chinese does not use articles, so this small word is easy to forget. In English, when you say what someone’s job is, you need a or an before it: “He’s a writer,” “She’s a lawyer,” “He’s an artist.” Use an before a vowel sound. Without the article, the sentence sounds broken, even if people understand you.

The clip repeats the pattern again and again: “He’s a writer from France,” “He’s a doctor from Mexico,” “He’s an artist,” “He’s a musician.” Each time the pattern is he’s + a/an + job + from + country. Use it as a template for your own friends. Plural is different: “They’re doctors,” with no article.