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