ARTICLES: A, AN, THE

1. The definite article
The can be used for many different reasons. Match each reason with an example sentence or phrase.
1 There was a man outside.
The man was tall
2 The moon and the world both go
aroun the sun
3 I can’t find the pen I bought
yesterday
4 Where’s the cat? (the cat that lives in
the house)
5 Paul is in the garden
6 She plays the piano well
7 it was the best film I have ever seen
8 the rich, the poor, the unemployed
9 the United States of America, the Queen
of Spain.
A with superlatives
B when only one exists
C when the object or person is mentioned
for a second time
D when we make somethhing definite by
adding extra information
E with musical instruments
F with adjectives to describe a class or group
G when location means only one thing is
is being referred to
H with titles and place names that have the idea
of
I when the object is known by everybody.
Nevertheless, we don’t use the article with:
1. Most names of towns, cities and countries: New York / Brazil
2. Uncountable nouns: petrol/ sugar/milk/ wood
3. Countable objects in general: cats are beautiful
4. Abstract nouns: love/ hate/ beauty
5. Some places/ locations: home/ work/ school
1. Corrrect the mistakes in these sentences
1. It’s not a first – class accommodation unless it has a private bathroom.
2. On this record twins play piano duet.
3. The halfway through meal we realised what waiter had said.
4. If the Mrs Hillier phones, say I’m away on trip.
5. There is a wonderful scenery in eastern part of Turkey.
6. Cocker Spaniel is one of most popular pet dogs.
7. There is going to be fog and a cold weather all the next week.
8. The burglaries are definitely on increase.
9. I spent very interesting holiday at the Lake Coniston in England.
10. We are against war in general, so of course we are against war like this between superpower
and developing country.
11. A painting I like best is the one not for sale.
2. In each space put a/an or the, or leave the space blank
1. .............most main roads in this part of ............country follow...............line of ............roads
built by ............Romans.
2. If I had ...........time, I would like to take up..............painting.
3. ...........Nile flows right through ............city.
4. .............summer I spent in ..........USA was one of ...........best in my life.
5. Please let me carry ................shopping. It’s ..............least I can do.
6. I don’t like...............milk in ...........coffee.
7. She was .............first woman to cross ............Atlantic in...............canoe.
8. Jim became...............furniture salesman after leaving...........school.
9. At ...........end of...........busy day, .............sleep is ............best tonic.