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