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