Common Phrases with "A" or "An"

"A cup of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "Please bring me a cup of coffee."
• Example: "He needs an ounce of patience to deal with the situation."

"A piece of" / "An item of":

• Example: "She bought a piece of cake for dessert."
• Example: "He found an item of clothing left behind in the room."

"A bit of" / "An amount of":

• Example: "Could you spare a bit of time to help me with this?"
• Example: "He needs an amount of money to pay for the repairs."

"A set of" / "An assortment of":

• Example: "She purchased a set of dishes for her new apartment."
• Example: "He received an assortment of gifts for his birthday."

"A pair of" / "An example of":

• Example: "He bought a pair of shoes for his hiking trip."
• Example: "She showed an example of her artwork to the class."

"A moment of" / "An instance of":

• Example: "Let's take a moment of silence to honor the fallen soldiers."
• Example: "He experienced an instance of déjà vu while visiting the old town."

"A slice of" / "An excerpt of":

• Example: "She cut a slice of cake for each guest at the party."
• Example: "He read an excerpt of the novel to the audience."

"A ray of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "She felt a ray of hope amidst the despair."
• Example: "He detected an ounce of suspicion in her voice."

"A drop of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "He added a drop of lemon juice to his tea."
• Example: "She needs an ounce of courage to speak in front of the crowd."

"A strand of" / "An example of":

• Example: "She found a strand of hair on her pillow."
• Example: "He showed an example of code to explain the algorithm."

"A hint of" / "An air of":

• Example: "There was a hint of sadness in her smile."
• Example: "He carried himself with an air of confidence."

"A taste of" / "An essence of":

• Example: "They got a taste of the local cuisine during their travels."
• Example: "She captured an essence of nostalgia in her artwork."

"A burst of" / "An outpouring of":

• Example: "There was a burst of laughter in the room."
• Example: "The speech evoked an outpouring of emotion from the audience."

"A glimmer of" / "An inkling of":

• Example: "She caught a glimmer of hope in his eyes."
• Example: "He had an inkling of suspicion about her motives."

"A flash of" / "An instance of":

• Example: "He had a flash of inspiration and wrote down his idea."
• Example: "She witnessed an instance of kindness when a stranger helped her."

"A burst of" / "An eruption of":

• Example: "There was a burst of applause after the performance."
• Example: "The protest led to an eruption of anger among the crowd."

"A touch of" / "An element of":

• Example: "The painting had a touch of elegance in its composition."
• Example: "Her speech contained an element of humor to lighten the mood."

"A sip of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "He took a sip of water to quench his thirst."
• Example: "She poured an ounce of wine into the glass."

"A flicker of" / "An instance of":

• Example: "There was a flicker of doubt in his eyes."
• Example: "She experienced an instance of déjà vu."

"A glimpse of" / "An impression of":

• Example: "He caught a glimpse of the sunset through the trees."
• Example: "She formed an impression of the city from her brief visit."

"A touch of" / "An essence of":

• Example: "The dish had a touch of spiciness that enhanced its flavor."
• Example: "The perfume contained an essence of jasmine and vanilla."

"A sign of" / "An indication of":

• Example: "The dark clouds were a sign of an impending storm."
• Example: "His sudden silence was an indication of his discomfort."

"A taste of" / "An essence of":

• Example: "They got a taste of city life during their weekend trip."
• Example: "The poem captured an essence of love and longing."

"A dash of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "She added a dash of salt to the soup for flavor."
• Example: "He needs an ounce of luck to succeed in his endeavor."

"A burst of" / "An outbreak of":

• Example: "There was a burst of laughter when he told the joke."
• Example: "The city experienced an outbreak of protests after the controversial decision."

"A ray of" / "An indication of":

• Example: "She saw a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds."
• Example: "His smile was an indication of his approval."

"A streak of" / "An example of":

• Example: "She noticed a streak of bad luck in his recent endeavors."
• Example: "His behavior was an example of poor judgment."

"A wave of" / "An influx of":

• Example: "The town experienced a wave of excitement during the festival."
• Example: "There was an influx of tourists during the holiday season."

"A hint of" / "An air of":

• Example: "There was a hint of sadness in her voice."
• Example: "He carried himself with an air of confidence."

"A glimmer of" / "An element of":

• Example: "There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes."
• Example: "She detected an element of truth in his story."

"A splash of" / "An infusion of":

• Example: "She added a splash of color to her painting."
• Example: "He introduced an infusion of creativity into the project."

"A tinge of" / "An undertone of":

• Example: "There was a tinge of regret in her voice."
• Example: "His words carried an undertone of sarcasm."

"A flash of" / "An instance of":

• Example: "There was a flash of lightning followed by thunder."
• Example: "She experienced an instance of déjà vu when she entered the room."

"A burst of" / "An eruption of":

• Example: "There was a burst of applause when the winner was announced."
• Example: "The protest led to an eruption of violence in the streets."

"A dose of" / "An infusion of":

• Example: "He needs a dose of reality to understand the situation."
• Example: "The team received an infusion of energy from their coach's pep talk."

"A taste of" / "An essence of":

• Example: "The documentary provided a taste of life in the wilderness."
• Example: "Her artwork captures an essence of the human experience."

"A slice of" / "An excerpt of":

• Example: "She read a slice of the novel before deciding to buy it."
• Example: "He presented an excerpt of his research paper at the conference."

"A touch of" / "An infusion of":

• Example: "She added a touch of humor to her presentation."
• Example: "The renovation project brought an infusion of modern design to the building."

"A whiff of" / "An air of":

• Example: "There was a whiff of nostalgia in the air."
• Example: "He detected an air of excitement among the crowd."

"A drop of" / "An ounce of":

• Example: "She added a drop of vanilla extract to the batter."
• Example: "He needs an ounce of courage to face his fears."

"A flash of" / "An instance of":

• Example: "She had a flash of inspiration while walking in the park."
• Example: "He experienced an instance of clarity after meditating."

"A touch of" / "An element of":

• Example: "The painting needed a touch of blue to balance the colors."
• Example: "Her speech contained an element of surprise."

"A hint of" / "An air of":

• Example: "There was a hint of mischief in her smile."
• Example: "He carried himself with an air of confidence."

"A streak of" / "An example of":

• Example: "There was a streak of bad luck following him."
• Example: "Her actions were an example of dedication and perseverance."

"A wave of" / "An influx of":

• Example: "The news of her promotion brought a wave of excitement."
• Example: "The city experienced an influx of tourists during the holiday season."

"A glimmer of" / "An inkling of":

• Example: "She saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes."
• Example: "He had an inkling of what was about to happen."

"A splash of" / "An infusion of":

• Example: "She added a splash of color to the room with new pillows."
• Example: "The dish needed an infusion of flavor, so she added more spices."

"A breath of" / "An essence of":

• Example: "The forest was a breath of fresh air after the city."
• Example: "His music captured an essence of tranquility."

Phrases with "a/an" and "an"

Phrases with "a/an"	Phrases with "an"
A cup of (Please bring me a cup of coffee.)	An ounce of (He needs an ounce of patience to deal with the situation.)
A piece of (She bought a piece of cake for dessert.)	An item of (He found an item of clothing left behind in the room.)
A bit of (Could you spare a bit of time to help me with this?)	An amount of (He needs an amount of money to pay for the repairs.)
A set of (She purchased a set of dishes for her new apartment.)	An example of (She showed an example of her artwork to the class.)
A pair of (He bought a pair of shoes for his hiking trip.)	An influx of (She experienced an influx of visitors during the holiday season.)
A moment of (Let's take a moment of silence to honor the fallen soldiers.)	An instance of (He experienced an instance of déjà vu while visiting the old town.)
A slice of (She cut a slice of cake for each guest at the party.)	An indication of (His sudden silence was an indication of his discomfort.)
A ray of (She felt a ray of hope amidst the despair.)	An element of (His speech contained an element of surprise.)
A taste of (They got a taste of the local cuisine during their travels.)	An air of (He carried himself with an air of confidence.)
A drop of (He added a drop of lemon juice to his tea.)	An essence of (The perfume contained an essence of jasmine and vanilla.)