Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end
|
|
||||||||||||
| Gapped text | Items |
|---|---|
| Do you like ______________________ coffee? I can make you one. | a / some / any / -- / an / the |
| There are ______________________ eggs in the fridge. | -- / a / an / any / some / the |
| - Do you like ______________________ French wine? - No, I prefer ______________________ sherry | -- / -- / a / an / a / some / the / the / an / some / any / any |
| I only wear ______________________ coat in winter. | a / -- / an / some / the / any |
| I've got ______________________ friends in China | an / any / some / the / -- / a |
| ______________________ birds can fly | a / the / some / -- / any / an |
| I've seen ______________________ very good films recently. | -- / any / the / an / some / a |
| ______________________ zoo was nice, but ______________________ tigers looked very sad. | -- / an / -- / some / an / a / a / some / any / the / the / any |
| ______________________ sugar isn't good for you. | an / -- / any / a / the / some |
| In the jungle you can find ______________________ birds and ______________________ monkeys. | a / an / the / some / the / some / a / -- / any / any / an / -- |
| I can't find ______________________ nice books in this library | the / some / a / any / -- / an |
| Are there ______________________ children in the garden? | an / a / some / -- / any / the |
| - Do you like ______________________ coffee? - Yes, but it's a bit too hot, I'll wait | an / some / the / -- / any / a |
| He's got ______________________ big hands | any / a / some / the / an / -- |
| Do you need ______________________ sugar? I can buy it. | the / any / -- / some / a / an |
| Do you collect ______________________ stamps? | the / some / -- / a / an / any |
| ______________________ children learn very quickly, but others have problems. | a / the / an / -- / any / some |
| Kelly's got ______________________ short fair hair. | -- / a / some / an / any / the |
| ______________________ grass is green and ______________________ water is transparent | a / -- / the / some / some / a / any / -- / an / any / an / the |
| all ______________________ cars in this car park look very expensive | some / an / any / the / -- / a / the |
| Sorry, I haven't got ______________________ potatoes left | -- / an / any / the / a / some |
| I like ______________________ Spanish food, but ______________________ Spanish food Lola prepares is the best. | a / an / any / an / some / the / -- / -- / any / the / a / some |
| We haven't got ______________________ tomatoes. | -- / any / the / an / some / a |
| I dreamt of ______________________ man without ______________________ head | a / -- / the / any / the / -- / a / some / an / any / some / an |
| No thanks, I don't need ______________________ milk | any / some / an / -- / the / a |
| My father is ______________________ doctor | -- / the / a / some / an / any |
| There aren't ______________________ shops open at this time. | a / -- / an / some / the / any |
| Do ______________________ English people you know work hard? | some / an / -- / the / a / any |
| ______________________ planes are faster than ______________________ cars. | -- / the / any / an / some / -- / the / some / an / a / a / any |
| All ______________________ cars are very expensive | any / a / the / some / -- / an |
| ______________________ pop music always makes me want to dance. | a / an / any / the / -- / some |
| ______________________ friends are coming for dinner, so I have to clean ______________________ house. | a / an / any / any / some / some / an / the / a / the / -- / -- |
| Paul has got ______________________ big eyes. | any / a / an / some / the / -- |
| ______________________ tigers live in Asia. | the / some / -- / an / any / a |
| ______________________ children spend their life learning | a / some / any / -- / the / an |
| We went to ______________________ zoo with ______________________ children. | the / -- / some / -- / an / some / any / a / the / an / a / any |
| Do you need ______________________ umbrella? I've got many. | some / an / a / any / the / -- |
| Hey, listen to ______________________ birds, they are singing very strangely | the / any / some / -- / a / an |
| She bought ______________________ new stamps for her collection. | any / a / -- / an / the / some |
| I'm not wearing ______________________ ring because I'm not married | any / a / -- / the / an / some |
| You've got ______________________ very beautiful eyes. | -- / any / the / an / some / a |
| ______________________ diamond rings are too expensive for me | the / a / any / -- / some / an |
| Do ______________________ English people work hard? | some / an / the / a / any / -- |
| Can you pass me ______________________ sugar, please? | any / an / a / the / some / -- |
| Did you see ______________________ tigers? | a / the / -- / some / an / any |
| She's got ______________________ long face. | some / a / any / -- / an / the |
| Have you got ______________________ boyfriend? | the / some / an / any / a / -- |
| ______________________ palm trees don't grow in Scotland | an / a / any / some / the / -- |
| I like ______________________ bananas | a / any / some / the / -- / an |
| Sandra is ______________________ nurse. | some / an / -- / any / a / the |
| I need ______________________ bananas. | an / -- / the / some / a / any |
| Have you got ______________________ books I can read? | a / some / the / -- / an / any |
| I've got ______________________ birds at home | an / some / the / any / -- / a |
| ______________________ film wasn't very good, but I liked ______________________ music. | an / the / a / an / a / some / -- / some / the / any / -- / any |
| I haven't got ______________________ friends here | the / an / any / a / -- / some |
| ______________________ shops are open, but most are closed. | -- / some / any / a / an / the |
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".
