ARTICLES I

Exercise 1
Fill in the correct indefinite article ‘a’ or ‘an’.

There is ___a___ cat on top of your car.

1. Would you like ________ cup of tea?

2. I’ll have ________ orange, ________ pear and ________ apple, please.
3. This is ________ great car.
4. This is ________ awful car.
5. We’re going to buy ________ yacht.
6. We’re going to buy ________ other yacht.
7. Is there ________ university in London?
8. You’ll have to go the hospital for ________ X-ray.
9. She’s ________ MP.
10. She’s ________ hard-working MP.
11. She’s ________ hones MP.
12. Have you got ________ euro coin for the slot machine?
13. He’s ________ ex of hers.
14. She’s been given ________ MTV award.
15. ________ owl has made ________ nest behind our house.
16. There’s been ________ accident with ________ train.
17. ________ engineer employed by a subcontractor filed a complaint.
18. ________ Dutch person is ________ European citizen.
19. It was ________ honour to meet you.
20. It made ________ real impact on all of us.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the indefinite articles ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘some’.

Would you turn ___a___ light on?

1. We need to order ________ more supplies.

2. My mother is going to the hospital tomorrow for ________ operation.
3. Darn, I have ________ rock in my shoe.
4. There is still ________ coffee left if you want it.
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5. I’ll get ________ cup for you.
6. Somebody left ________ trash on our front lawn.
7. Please pick up ________ bananas on your way home.
8. It is ________ unexpected answer.
9. I spilled ________ milk on the counter.
10. It began as ________ day like any other day.
11. It was ________ unusual request.
12. Apparently her proposal came as ________ complete surprise to the board.
13. It was ________ offer he couldn’t refuse.
14. We found the apartment through ________ ad in the newspaper.
15. I’ve got to get ________ envelopes before I can mail these letters.
16. ________ trees in ________ park are beginning to turn colour.
17. We are planning ________ trip to visit ________ college friends.
18. They were driving in ________ right lane and ________ truck in ________ left
lane hit them.
19. ________ heavy smell of decay was hanging in ________ air.
20. She found ________ mistakes in the most recent revision.

Exercise 3
Correct the following sentences (if necessary).

I had to replace the windshield wipers on my car. OK______________

This is an historic moment. This is a historic moment._____________

1. This is a European car._______________________________________________

2. We’re staying in an hotel._____________________________________________
3. I’ll be there in an hour._______________________________________________
4. They’ve won an Oscar._______________________________________________
5. They’ve won a MTV award.____________________________________________
6. It isn’t a university, it’s a college._______________________________________
7. I’m reading an other book by Mulisch.___________________________________
8. She’s a doctor._____________________________________________________
9. He’s President of the United States._____________________________________
10. He’s the President of the United States.__________________________________
11. He’s director of the hospital.___________________________________________
12. He’s doctor at the hospital.____________________________________________

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13. The vegetables are very cheap this year._________________________________
14. Most people like ice cream.____________________________________________
15. Beatrix is Queen of the Netherlands.____________________________________
16. Beatrix is the Queen of the Netherlands._________________________________
17. She’s been in the hospital for a week.___________________________________
18. You owe me hundred euros.___________________________________________
19. The unemployment is a problem._______________________________________
20. No-one dies from smallpox any more.___________________________________
21. Do you have headache?______________________________________________
22. What a weather!____________________________________________________
23. People can be so stupid!______________________________________________
24. The workers have joined an union.______________________________________
25. I’m crying because I’ve been peeling an onion.____________________________

Exercise 4
Fill in the correct article (a, an, some, the) in the blank space in the following
sentences. If the sentence makes a generalization, put Ø in the blank space to show
that no article is used.

Could you answer ___the___ phone?

1. There’s ________ program on TV tonight that I would like to watch.

2. Did we ever get ________ answer from the Smiths?
3. ________ train from Chicago is just pulling into ________ station.
4. Can you get ________ bread and milk when you go shopping?
5. ________ reception on my cell phone is not very good.
6. ________ weather forecast is for ________ big storm over ________ weekend.
7. ________ storm that hit us caused ________ huge power failure all along
________ East Coast.
8. I always enjoy reading ________ comics in ________ Sunday paper.
9. In Italy, ________ wine is taxed as ________ food.
10. Robert is ________ last person to know what’s going on.
11. We are planning to go on ________ hike this weekend.
12. She raised ________ really good issues in class today.
13. I have ________ problem that I need to discuss with you.
14. ________ restrooms at ________ train station are always dirty.

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15. Whenever we go to ________ movies, we always get ________ big bag of
popcorn.
16. Everyone has to have ________ insurance.
17. I’ve just had ________ idea.
18. There was ________ fire at ________ old Brown place last night.
19. Can I get ________ information from you?
20. Bad news travels around ________ world before good news gets its shoes on.
21. Susan lost ________ baby tooth today.
22. I have ________ information that ________ group will be interested in.
23. ________ newspapers all across _________ country are losing ________
readers.
24. I never get ________ clear answer from ________ personnel department.
25. We got ________ real shock when ________ contractor gave us ________ final
bill.

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KEY
Exercise 1
1. a - 2. an, a, an - 3. a - 4. an - 5. a - 6. another - 7. a - 8. an - 9. an - 10. a -
11. an - 12. a - 13. an - 14. an - 15. An, a – 16. an, a – 17. An – 18. A, a – 19. an – 20. a

Exercise 2
1. some - 2. an - 3. a - 4. some - 5. a - 6. some - 7. some - 8. an - 9. some - 10. a - 11. an -
12. a - 13. an - 14. an - 15. some – 16. The, the – 17. a, some – 18. the, a, the – 19. A, the
– 20. some

Exercise 3
1. OK: This is a European car.
2. We’re staying in a hotel.
3. OK: I’ll be there in an hour.
4. OK: They’ve won an Oscar.
5. They’ve won an MTV award.
6. OK: It isn’t a university, it’s a college.
7. I’m reading another book by Mulisch.
8. OK: She’s a doctor.
9. OK: He’s President of the United States.
10. OK: He’s the President of the United States.
11. OK: He’s director of the hospital.
12. He’s a doctor at the hospital.
13. Vegetables are very cheap this year.
14. OK: Most people like ice cream.
15. OK: Beatrix is Queen of the Netherlands.
16. OK: Beatrix is the Queen of the Netherlands.
17. a) OK: She’s been in the hospital for a week.
b) She’s been in hospital for a week.
18. You owe me a hundred euros.
19. Unemployment is a problem.
20. OK: No-one dies from smallpox any more.
21. Do you have a headache?
22. What weather!
23. OK: People can be so stupid!
24. The workers have joined a union.
25. OK: I’m crying because I’ve been peeling an onion.

Exercise 4
1. a - 2. an - 3. The, the - 4. some - 5. The - 6. The, a, the - 7. The, a, the - 8. the, the - 9.
the (Ø is also OK) - 10. the - 11. a - 12. some - 13. a - 14. The, the - 15. the, a - 16. some -
17. an - 18. a, the - 19. some - 20. the - 21. a - 22. some, the - 23. Ø, the, Ø - 24. a, the -
25. a, the, the

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