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