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