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