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