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General use of the article |
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Note: In cases when you can use some/any or no article, it is more normal to use some/any
"I need some milk" is more normal than "I need milk".
When talking in general there is no article
- I like apples
- tigers live in Asia
- grass is green and water is transparent
Note: French wine is very expensive (we are not talking about all the wine in general, but we are talking about all the "French wine" in general, so we use no article)
When talking about something particular and known, we use "the" in every case
- the president of Uganda is ill (we know what president we are talking about)
- the elephants of Africa are bigger than those in Asia
- the wine you sell is excellent
When talking about something particular but unspecified, we use the indefinite article:
- I want an apple (I don't want a specific apple, any apple is fine, this or that or that one there; if it's an apple, it's ok)
- I want apples = I want some apples
- I want wine = I want some wine
The indefinite article "a" ("an" before a vowel) is singular, and so, we cannot use it for plurals or uncountables. Nevertheless, in those cases we can normally use the indefinite article "some" ("any" for interrogatives and negatives).
- I have a book
- I have books = I have some books
- I don't have books = I don't have any books
- Have you got books? = Have you got any books?
REMEMBER! "some/any" is an indefinite article, and so, it can only be used when the quantity or number is unspecified and not very big, otherwise, we do not use it (if you have thousands of books you cannot say "I have some books", you have to say "I have books / I have many books"). It means something similar to "a few / a little".
Gapped text | Items |
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All ______________________ cars are very expensive | any / an / -- / the / a / some |
all ______________________ cars in this car park look very expensive | -- / any / a / an / the / some / the |
Are there ______________________ children in the garden? | any / an / a / -- / some / the |
______________________ birds can fly | some / an / the / -- / a / any |
Can you pass me ______________________ sugar, please? | some / -- / a / any / the / an |
______________________ children spend their life learning | any / the / some / a / an / -- |
______________________ diamond rings are too expensive for me | any / an / some / -- / the / a |
Did you see ______________________ tigers? | an / some / any / -- / a / the |
Do ______________________ English people work hard? | a / an / some / any / the / -- |
Do ______________________ English people you know work hard? | the / a / some / -- / an / any |
Do you collect ______________________ stamps? | -- / any / a / an / the / some |
Do you like ______________________ coffee? I can make you one. | any / a / the / an / -- / some |
- Do you like ______________________ French wine? - No, I prefer ______________________ sherry | some / -- / a / a / the / some / the / an / any / -- / an / any |
- Do you like ______________________ coffee? - Yes, but it's a bit too hot, I'll wait | some / an / the / -- / a / any |
Do you need ______________________ sugar? I can buy it. | the / a / some / -- / an / any |
Do you need ______________________ umbrella? I've got many. | some / an / a / any / the / -- |
______________________ grass is green and ______________________ water is transparent | a / a / -- / some / the / the / an / any / some / any / an / -- |
Have you got ______________________ boyfriend? | -- / an / some / a / any / the |
Have you got ______________________ books I can read? | some / a / any / the / an / -- |
He's got ______________________ big hands | any / an / the / -- / some / a |
Hey, listen to ______________________ birds, they are singing very strangely | a / the / some / an / any / -- |
No thanks, I don't need ______________________ milk | -- / a / any / the / an / some |
I dreamt of ______________________ man without ______________________ head | a / a / any / the / any / some / some / -- / the / an / an / -- |
I haven't got ______________________ friends here | any / an / -- / the / a / some |
Sorry, I haven't got ______________________ potatoes left | the / -- / any / a / an / some |
I can't find ______________________ nice books in this library | the / -- / some / a / any / an |
I like ______________________ bananas | the / -- / an / any / some / a |
I like ______________________ Spanish food, but ______________________ Spanish food Lola prepares is the best. | any / the / an / some / -- / some / an / a / a / the / -- / any |
I need ______________________ bananas. | the / -- / a / some / an / any |
I only wear ______________________ coat in winter. | the / any / a / some / an / -- |
I'm not wearing ______________________ ring because I'm not married | -- / some / the / any / a / an |
In the jungle you can find ______________________ birds and ______________________ monkeys. | the / some / any / -- / an / a / the / any / -- / a / an / some |
I've got ______________________ birds at home | some / the / a / -- / any / an |
I've got ______________________ friends in China | an / -- / the / some / a / any |
She bought ______________________ new stamps for her collection. | the / any / some / a / an / -- |
I've seen ______________________ very good films recently. | an / a / the / any / -- / some |
______________________ pop music always makes me want to dance. | some / any / a / the / -- / an |
My father is ______________________ doctor | the / some / -- / a / an / any |
______________________ palm trees don't grow in Scotland | an / -- / some / the / a / any |
Paul has got ______________________ big eyes. | some / any / -- / an / a / the |
______________________ planes are faster than ______________________ cars. | an / any / -- / a / any / some / an / -- / a / some / the / the |
Sandra is ______________________ nurse. | any / an / -- / the / a / some |
She's got ______________________ long face. | the / any / an / -- / some / a |
Kelly's got ______________________ short fair hair. | any / an / some / the / a / -- |
______________________ children learn very quickly, but others have problems. | -- / some / a / any / the / an |
______________________ friends are coming for dinner, so I have to clean ______________________ house. | an / any / the / some / an / some / a / a / any / -- / -- / the |
______________________ shops are open, but most are closed. | the / a / -- / an / some / any |
______________________ sugar isn't good for you. | a / an / any / the / some / -- |
______________________ film wasn't very good, but I liked ______________________ music. | a / any / an / some / any / a / -- / the / the / -- / some / an |
______________________ zoo was nice, but ______________________ tigers looked very sad. | some / any / some / an / a / -- / the / a / an / the / any / -- |
There are ______________________ eggs in the fridge. | a / an / -- / the / any / some |
There aren't ______________________ shops open at this time. | any / some / the / an / -- / a |
______________________ tigers live in Asia. | -- / a / any / some / an / the |
We haven't got ______________________ tomatoes. | any / an / -- / a / some / the |
We went to ______________________ zoo with ______________________ children. | any / some / a / an / the / the / any / some / an / -- / -- / a |
You've got ______________________ very beautiful eyes. | a / the / some / -- / an / any |