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