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