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