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