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