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