ARTICLES (A/AN, THE, ZERO ARTICLE) - EXERCISES

I. Fill in the blank with the appropriate article, a, an, or the, or no article is needed.
1. I still keep wondering if I was doing ____right thing when I asked my father for ____ permission to
leave school.
2. We needed ____ house to live in when we were in London.
3. There are some things ____ gentleman cant do! Tom.
". #ou are ____ only person whose opinion is of any value to me in ____ present regretta$le
circumstances.
%. &e told me he hated ____ doctors.
'. (he had ____ laughing eyes and ____ most charming mouth.
). We talked a$out ____ $ooks. *harles had +ust finished ____ last volume of ,roust.
-. I went into ____ room .uietly and sat down opposite him without ____ word.
/. 0r 0arch spent most of the night talking to 1rancis a$out $uying ____ house. ____ two of them
were happy discussing ____ plans and ____ prices.
12. I told myself that in wartime ____ letters are lost.
11. &e is ____ man to deal with ____ customers complaints.
12. (he went to ____ writing3desk and $rought out ____ sealed envelope.
13. Ill $ook ____ sleeper on ____ 4eneva3,aris train for tomorrow night.
1". ____ second $ell sounded! and ____ pupils $egan to walk into ____ auditorium.
1%. They never read anything $ut ____ local paper! and ____local papers report ____ London affairs
in one line.
II. Write the following paragraphs, inserting a, an, and the where needed.
1. I have___ horse of my own. I call her ,retty 4irl. (he is ___ intelligent animal! $ut she is not ___
thorough$red horse. I could never enter her in ___ race! even if I wanted to. 5ut I do not want to.
(he is ___ companion! for my own pleasure. I took her swimming ___ day or two ago.
2. ___ horse knows when he is going to race. &ow does he know6 &is $reakfast was scanty. 7&e is
angry a$out that.8 &e does not have ___ saddle on his $ack. &e is $eing led! not ridden! to ___
grandstand. &e is led under ___ grandstand into ___ unusual! special stall. ___ horse is nervous.
(ometimes he does not know what to do when ___ starting gate flies open and ___ track is $efore
him. If he does not $egin to run instantly! other horses are already ahead of him. 9uring ___ race!
when he sees another horse +ust ahead of him! he will try to pass him. (ometimes ___ +ockey holds
him $ack to save his energy for ___ last stretch. :ventually ___ horse gets to run as fast as he can.
___ e;ercise $oy! watching ___ owner<s favorite +ockey riding horse he has e;ercised day after day!
says nothing. (ecretly! he is planning for ___ day when he will $e ___ +ockey himself! and his horse
will $e ___ first to cross ___ finish line.
3. 0ost people have fewer hours to give to time3consuming activities of clu$s than they used to
have! $ut most people in ___ small town $elong to ___ clu$ or two. =ne of ___ clu$s is likely to $e
___ social and $enevolent organi>ation! such as ___ ?otary or :lks. 5usiness people are likely to
$elong! also to either ___ @iwanis *lu$ or ___ Lions. (uch $usiness people<s organi>ations may meet
as often as once a week in one of ___ private dining rooms of ___ town<s leading hotel for lunch. They
have ___ good lunch! hear ___ good program! and continue their fundraising program for ___ worthy
organi>ation! such as ___ local hospital.
1. I have a horse of my own. I call her ,retty 4irl. (he is an intelligent animal! $ut she is
not a thorough$red horse. I could never enter her in a race! even if I wanted to. 5ut I do not want to.
(he is a companion! for my own pleasure. I took her swimming a day or two ago.
2. A horse knows when he is going to race. &ow does he know6 &is $reakfast was scanty. 7&e is angry
a$out that.8 &e does not have a saddle on his $ack. &e is $eing led! not ridden! to the grandstand. &e
is led under the grandstand into an unusual! special stall.The horse is nervous. (ometimes he does
not know what to do when the starting gate flies open and the track is $efore him. If he does not
$egin to run instantly! other horses are already ahead of him. 9uring the race! when he sees another
horse +ust ahead of him! he will try to pass him. (ometimes the +ockey holds him $ack to save his
energy for the last stretch. :ventually the horse gets to run as fast as he can. The e;ercise $oy!
watching theowner<s favorite +ockey riding the horse he has e;ercised day after day! says nothing.
(ecretly! he is planning for the day when he will $e a +ockey himself! and his horse will $ethe first to
cross the finish line.
3. 0ost working people have fewer hours to give to time3consuming activities of clu$s than they used
to have! $ut most people in a small town $elong to a clu$ or two. =ne of theclu$s is likely to
$e a social and $enevolent organi>ation! such as the ?otary or :lks. 5usiness people are likely to
$elong! also to either the @iwanis *lu$ or the Lions. (uch $usiness people<s organi>ations may meet
as often as once a week in one of the private dining rooms of the town<s leading hotel for lunch. They
have a good lunch! hear a good program! and continue their fundraising program for a worthy
organi>ation! such as a local hospital.