The following exercises are designed to give students practice at using articles (a, an, and the) in sentences. To understand when to use an article, one must first have an understanding of the parts of speech that make up the language in English, and in particular, the noun and the determiner.
Noun
A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing or idea. For a deeper understanding on the different types of nouns, please read the linked post.
Examples of common nouns include countable nouns such as ‘dog’, table’ and ‘book’.
However, with regard to the use of articles it is important to know that nouns can be countable or uncountable.
Countable nouns can be singular or plural:
- dog = dogs
- cat = cats
- boy = boys
- girl = girls
Uncountable nouns such as ‘water’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘sugar’, and concepts such as ‘love’, ‘freedom’ and ‘beauty’ cannot be quantified:
- many/few dogs = much/little water
- many/few cats = much/little freedom
- many/few boys = much/little beauty
Determiners
A noun must always be determined, and the articles that this post is concerned with are one of the four types of determiner:
Articles: a/ an/ the
Quantifiers: six, some, much, many, no, several
Possessives: my, your, his, their, her, etc
Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
- Article: There is a dog.
- Quantifier: There are two dogs.
- Possessive: There is your dog.
- Demonstrative: There is that dog.
Articles
Articles are a type of determiner, as described above. Articles are used to indicate whether a noun is general or specific and whether it refers to something already known or something new. An article can be definite or indefinite.
Every time a noun is used, one must check to see if a determiner has been used. If a quantifying, possessive or demonstrative determiner has not been used, one must check whether to use an article.
- Definite: the
- Indefinite: a, an
For further clarification on articles, please read the linked post.
The definite article ‘the’ makes clear that a noun is something very specific and/or already known.
The indefinite article makes clear that a noun is general and no further details are known.
Read the section on articles in the Parts of Speech post for examples.
In short, the following table will guide you as to which article to use:
Article Singular Plural/Uncountable
Definite article a / an the
Indefinite article —— the
As you can see in the table above, the only occasion where no determiner is used is if the noun is plural or uncountable and one is being indefinite:
- I really like music
- I really like the music that my husband plays
The first example refers to music in general, and the second is being specific in referring to which music is meant. Music is an uncountable noun and in the first instance it is being indefinitely determined.
The same is true with a plural noun in the following example:
- I really like dogs
- I really like the dogs in my neighbour’s garden.
The exercises
Time to get your skates on! There have been many links provided throughout this post for further reading on articles if you require it. If not, have a go at the following exercises and see if you have understood how to apply them. Isolate all the nouns you can see and decide whether they require an article. The answers are all at the bottom of the post.
- In charming little town, there was pleasant bakery where aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through air. Energetic baker prepared variety of pastries, each more delicious than last. Customers eagerly waited for warm loaf of bread or assortment of delectable pastries. On counter, there sat exquisite cake adorned with vibrant flowers. Townsfolk gathered, hoping to savour slice of magnificent creation. As they enjoyed treats, bakery became hub of conversation, filled with anecdotes and laughter. In corner, musician played melodic tune on guitar, adding to lively atmosphere. Aroma, taste, and sound created unforgettable experience for all, making it cherished memory for community.
- In increasingly competitive market landscape, implementation of comprehensive strategy is crucial for success of business. Integration of data-driven analytics plays integral role in formulation of effective plan. With advent of artificial intelligence, utilisation of algorithms enables companies to gain insights into customer behaviour and market trends. Additionally, adoption of innovative technologies such as blockchain and IoT provides opportunity for companies to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. Collaboration between departments fosters synergy, facilitating alignment of goals and objectives across organisation. Through implementation of these strategies, companies can achieve sustainable growth and maintain competitive edge in marketplace.
- In bustling city, industrious worker sips steaming cup of coffee at cosy cafe on corner of hectic street. Aroma of freshly brewed beans fills air, mingling with scent of freshly baked cakes. Across way, group of tourists admires majestic architecture of historic buildings lining avenue. Meanwhile, stray cat lounges lazily in warmth of midday sun, unfazed by commotion surrounding it. Each day, city pulses with life, each moment telling story of diverse tapestry of humanity that calls it home.
- In quiet village nestled between rolling hills, there lived old man with curious cat. Every day, man took stroll along dusty path, enjoying warmth of sun and gentle breeze rustling through trees. One day, as he walked, he stumbled upon abandoned cottage hidden behind tangle of vines. Inside, he discovered ancient book filled with secrets of universe. With trembling hands, he flipped through its pages, uncovering mysteries that had long been forgotten. From that day on, he spent countless hours lost in wonders of past, relishing each moment like precious gem.
- In era when quest for perfect diet consumes many, importance of right balance in diet cannot be overstated. Apple day, they say, keeps doctor away. But what about myriad choices in grocery aisle? Key lies in understanding impact of foods we consume. For instance, avocado provides healthy fats, while humble carrot offers plethora of vitamins. Debate over significance of latest fad diet rages on, but truth remains: inclusion of right nutrients is cornerstone of healthy lifestyle.
- In bustling city, people rushed through streets, navigating labyrinth of alleys and boulevards. Skyscrapers towered above them, casting long shadows in afternoon sun. Man sat on bench, watching hustle and bustle of city life. Old lady shuffled past, her dog on lead. Children played in park, their laughter echoing off walls of buildings. Pigeons gathered around fountain, pecking at crumbs scattered on ground. Aroma of fresh coffee wafted from nearby cafe, enticing passersby with its tempting scent. City never slept, lights twinkling like stars in night sky. And amidst it all, people went about their lives, each with story to tell, each part of fabric of city.
- As part of ongoing commitment to enhancing productivity and efficiency, we are implementing new policy for handling expenses. Starting next month, all employees must submit expense report for business-related purchases made during month. Report should include detailed information about items purchased, along with receipts for expenditures. Additionally, please ensure that expenses are categorised correctly to streamline approval process. We believe that initiative will not only improve transparency but also help us better track and manage company resources. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
- In quaint village nestled between rolling hills, there lived humble cobbler named Thomas. Every morning, he would wake up to chirping of birds and gentle rustle of leaves outside his small cottage. Thomas had old, worn-out bench where he sat cobbling shoes for villagers. One day, elegant lady from neighbouring town arrived with unique request. She needed pair of shoes for grand ball. With meticulous care, Thomas crafted most exquisite pair he had ever made. Lady was overjoyed and exclaimed, “This is finest work I have ever seen!” From that day on, Thomas’s reputation spread far and wide, and little shop became haven for shoe aficionados across land.
Answers
- In a charming little town, there was a pleasant bakery where the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air. An energetic baker prepared a variety of pastries, each more delicious than the last. The customers eagerly waited for a warm loaf of bread or an assortment of the delectable pastries. On a counter, there sat exquisite an cake adorned with vibrant flowers. The townsfolk gathered, hoping to savour a slice of the magnificent creation. As they enjoyed the treats, the bakery became a hub of conversation, filled with anecdotes and laughter. In a corner, a musician played a melodic tune on a guitar, adding to the lively atmosphere. The aroma, taste and sound created an unforgettable experience for all, making it a cherished memory for the community.
- In an increasingly competitive market landscape, the implementation of a comprehensive strategy is crucial for the success of a business. The integration of data-driven analytics plays an integral role in the formulation of an effective plan. With the advent of artificial intelligence, the utilisation of algorithms enables companies to gain insights into customer behaviour and market trends. Additionally, the adoption of innovative technologies such as blockchain and IoT provides an opportunity for companies to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. Collaboration between departments fosters synergy, facilitating the alignment of goals and objectives across the organisation. Through the implementation of these strategies, companies can achieve sustainable growth and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
- In a bustling city, an industrious worker sips a steaming cup of coffee at a cosy cafe on a corner of a hectic street. The aroma of freshly brewed beans fills the air, mingling with the scent of freshly baked cakes. Across the way, a group of tourists admires the majestic architecture of the historic buildings lining the avenue. Meanwhile, a stray cat lounges lazily in the warmth of the midday sun, unfazed by the commotion surrounding it. Each day, the city pulses with life; each moment telling the story of the diverse tapestry of the humanity that calls it home.
- In a quiet village, nestled between rolling hills, there lived an old man with a curious cat. Every day, the man took a stroll along a dusty path, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze rustling through the trees. One day, as he walked, he stumbled upon an abandoned cottage hidden behind a tangle of vines. Inside, he discovered an ancient book filled with the secrets of the universe. With trembling hands, he flipped through its pages, uncovering mysteries that had long been forgotten. From that day on, he spent countless hours lost in the wonders of the past, relishing each moment like a precious gem.
- In an era when the quest for the perfect diet consumes many, the importance of the right balance in a diet cannot be overstated. An apple a day, they say, keeps the doctor away. But what about the myriad choices in the grocery aisle? The key lies in understanding the impact of the foods we consume. For instance, an avocado provides healthy fats, while the humble carrot offers a plethora of vitamins. The debate over the significance of the latest fad diet rages on, but the truth remains: the inclusion of the right nutrients is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle.
- In a bustling city, people rushed through the streets, navigating the labyrinth of alleys and boulevards. Skyscrapers towered above them, casting long shadows in the afternoon sun. A man sat on a bench, watching the hustle and bustle of city life. An old lady shuffled past, her dog on a lead. Children played in a park, their laughter echoing off the walls of buildings. Pigeons gathered around a fountain, pecking at crumbs scattered on the ground. The aroma of fresh coffee wafted from a nearby cafe, enticing the passersby with its tempting scent. The city never slept, the lights twinkling like stars in the night sky. And amidst it all, the people went about their lives, each with a story to tell, each a part of the fabric of the city.
- As part of an ongoing commitment to enhancing productivity and efficiency, we are implementing a new policy for handling expenses. Starting next month, all employees must submit an expense report for business-related purchases made during the month. The report should include detailed information about the items purchased, along with receipts for expenditures. Additionally, please ensure that expenses are categorised correctly to streamline the approval process. We believe that the initiative will not only improve transparency but also help us better track and manage company resources. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
- In a quaint village there lived a humble cobbler named Thomas. Every morning, he would wake up to the chirping of birds and the gentle rustle of leaves outside his small cottage. Thomas had an old, worn-out bench where he sat cobbling shoes for the villagers. One day, an elegant lady from a neighbouring town arrived with a unique request. She needed a pair of shoes for a grand ball. With meticulous care, Thomas crafted the most exquisite pair he had ever made. The lady was overjoyed and exclaimed, “This is the finest work I have ever seen!” From that day on, Thomas’s reputation spread far and wide, and the little shop became a haven for shoe aficionados across the land.