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