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