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