MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  Drag&Drop
Use of the Article: Special cases
Focus Grammar
Description Pracise some special cases in the use of the English article. Complete the blanks with the best option available.
Instructions Click on the words at the bottom and drag them into the empty boxes of the sentence to complete it.
 
Gapped text Items
You're not coming? Oh, what ______________________ pity! -- / a / the / an
I see him once ______________________ year the / -- / a / every the / in the / an
______________________ ______________________ very poor people are / is / The homeless / Homelesses
What ______________________ dirty shirt! -- / a / the
I need ______________________ knife and ______________________ fork an / a / the / an / the / -- / -- / a
______________________ sister are on a trip My father and the / My father and / My father and my
What ______________________ cold weather! -- / an / the / a
That is a special law for ______________________ the disabled / disableds / the disableds
What ______________________ nice day! a / the / --
______________________ are very warm The Spanish people / Spanish people / The Spanish
It's three pounds ______________________ a kilo / the kilo / the kilos
They dine out three times ______________________ month every a / for a / for / every the / a / the / --
What ______________________ nice people! -- / the / a / an
What ______________________ white milk! a / -- / the / an
What ______________________ interesting animals! -- / a / an / the
What ______________________ noisy children! a / the / an / --
He always drives at 100 kilometres ______________________ hour an / -- / a / the
______________________ are very polite Britishes / The British people / The Britishes / The British
______________________ have many problems to find a job now Youngs / The young / The youngs / Young
The elderly ______________________ a lot of money in health care spends / spend
What ______________________ excellent wine! -- / a / an / the
You must check this counter three times ______________________ day the / for the / for a / in / in the / a
______________________ Irish have a different accent -- / The Irish people / The / The Irishes / Irishes
What ______________________ hot tea! the / an / -- / a
She brought comfort to ______________________ sick / the sick / sicks / the sicks
What ______________________ horrible car! a / -- / the
It was a terrible accident, but the injured ______________________ better is / are
I've got a friend ______________________ in Dorset and a cousin / and cousin
What ______________________ strange man! -- / a / the
______________________ are very friendly Spaniards / The Spanish
We meet once ______________________ year a / the / an / for the / for a / for
______________________ dad live down the street My mum and my / My mum and / Mum and my
In our society there is a problem between ______________________ and ______________________ the rich / the poor people / the rich people / the poor / the poors / the riches
There's no rest for ______________________ (weary = tired) the weary / the wearies
We visit my grandmother twice ______________________ week an / a / -- / the
This light flashes three times ______________________ second a / in the / the / every the / at a / for the
______________________ had a new baby King and queen / King and the queen / The king and the queen / The king and queen
______________________ are always on time The German / Germans
Total number of items: 38
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

SPECIAL USES OF "THE"


THE  + adjectives

We use THE with adjectives to talk about general groups of people having that quality (you don’t need a noun). In this case we use a plural verb.  

- The young = the young people
- The homeless are specially vulnerable in winter
- Do you think the rich should pay more taxes to help the poor?
 
More common examples:  the young / the old / the elderly / the poor / the unemployed / the homeless /  the sick / the disabled / the injured / the dead

We also use this same construction with some nationality adjectives with no equivalent noun:
 
- The British are worried about violence in schools
- There was a conflict between the English and the Welsh
 
Other nationalities have a noun, so they don't use that construction:
- Germans are interested in new markets (not: The German are...)
- Russians have a very complicated history
- Spaniards have one of the best public health systems in the world

SPECIAL USES OF "A"


We use A meaning "per" (distributive)

- That’s two pounds a kilo = that's two pounds per kilo (every kilo is two pounds, so 3 kilos is 6 pounds)

- He was driving at sixty miles an hour
- I go to the cinema twice a month (= two times every month)
 
Before singular count nouns in exclamations.

- What a day!  (countable singular)
- What a pretty girl!  (countable singular)
but:
- What nice weather!  (uncountable)
- What pretty girls!  (countable plural)

exception: What a pity! (uncountable)
 
We often suppress the article (or possessive) after the conjunction "and" in a pair of things that often go together.

- I need a knife and fork
- He went out with a raincoat and umbrella
- Those are the king and queen
- My uncle and aunt came to visit me
but:
- I found a hat and a camera in the car  (not: a hat and camera)