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