ENGLISH ARTICLES

ENGLISH ARTICLES

"A, An, The" definite and indefinite articles in English

Read the following description

I am from Winchester, Hampshire. Winchester is a city in the United Kingdom. I live in a town called Taunton which is on the River Tone. I live in a house in a quiet street in the countryside. The street is called "Hudson Street" and the house is old - more than 100 years old! I am an English lecturer at a college near the centre of the town. I like books, music and taking photographs. I usually have lunch at college. I usually go home by car. We have all kinds of food in England. I like Polish food very much. Sometimes, I go to a Polish restaurant in Bath. The restaurant is called "Magda's". Polish food is delicious!

Here are the basic rules for when to use "A, An or The":

• a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with consonants
  Eric has a dog.
  Gregory works in a factory.
• an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
  Can I have an apple?
  Donata is an English teacher.
• the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener know)
  The car over there is fast.
  The teacher is very good, isn't he?
• The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use "the".
  I live in a house. The house is quite old and has two bedrooms.
  I ate in a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant was not very clean.
• DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".
  My uncle lives in Cumbria near Lake Windermere.
  They live in Bristol.
• Use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas -
  I live on a small island in the Baltic Sea.
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general
  I like Indian tea.
  Simon likes reading books about linguistics.
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport
  He has breakfast at home.
  I go to university.
  Magda comes to work by taxi.

EXERCÍCIO 1

(Pré-Intermediário)

Preencher as lacunas. Clique na seta para ver a resposta. Não olhe para trás para o texto original!

I am from Winchester, Hampshire. Winchester is      --     a    city in      --     the    United Kingdom.  I live in      --     a    town called      --     0    Taunton which is on      --     the   River Tone. I live in      --     a    house in      --     a    quiet street in the countryside.      --     The    street is called "Hudson Street" and      --     the   house is old - more than 100 years old! I am      --     an    English lecturer at      --     a    college near      --     the    centre of      --     the    town. I like      --     0    books, music and taking      --     0   photographs. I usually have      --     0    lunch at college. I usually go      --     0   home by      --     0   car. We have all kinds of food in      --     0    England. I like      --     0   Polish food very much. Sometimes, I go to      --     a    Polish restaurant in Bath.      --     The    restaurant is called "Magda's".      --     0   Polish food is delicious!

EXERCISE 2

(Elementary / Pre-Intermediate)

a, an, the, zero

Clique no botão responder para ver a resposta correta.

1. Robert and Jessica went to ___ party last night.
            Answer         a       
2. Can you tell me how to get to ___ cinema from here?
            Answer         a OR the       
3. ___ college is closed today.
            Answer         The       
4. Gregory is one of ___ strangest people I know.
            Answer         the       
5. I recommend you try ___ tomato soup at this restaurant.
            Answer         the       
6. ___ beer is good for you.
            Answer         (nothing)       
7. Would you like to see ___ film?
            Answer         a OR the       
8. ___ apple a day keeps ___ doctor away.
            Answer         An/the       
9. I can't believe I failed ___ yesterday's test!
            Answer         (nothing)       
10. Do you have ___ dictionary that I can borrow?
             Answer         a       

EXERCÍCIO 3

(Elementar / Pré-Intermediário)

Clique no botão responder para ver a resposta correta.

2. There were many dogs in the park. One dog was ___ Dalmatian.
            Answer         a       
3. Pandas and ___ tigers are both endangered animals.
            Answer         nothing       
4. Magda is wearing ___ blue dress with red shoes
            Answer         a       
5. Bornholm is ___ island in the Baltic Sea.
            Answer         an       
6. Christmas comes once ___ year.
            Answer         a       
7. ___ owl is __ bird.
            Answer         An, a       
8. The Severn is ___ river.
            Answer         a       
9. Jane went to the shop to buy ___ bread.
            Answer         nothing       
10. Hania broke ___ glass when she was washing-up.
             Answer         a       
11. Tom took ___ umbrella as it was raining heavilly.
             Answer         an       

EXERCISE 4

(Elementary / Pre-Intermediate)

Clique no botão responder para ver a resposta correta.

1. This is ___ easy question.
            Answer         an       
2. Stephen could you speak  ___ little louder.
            Answer         a       
3. May I have your ___ phone number?
            Answer         (nothing)       
4. I have never seen ___ UFO.
            Answer         a       
5. May I ask you ___ question?
            Answer         a / the       
6. Astrid is ___ best teacher in our school.
            Answer         the       
7. What is ___ name of the next station?
            Answer         the       
8. My girlfriend has ___ my car today.
            Answer         (nothing)       
9. I went to ___ sea during my summer holiday.
            Answer         the       
10. Is there ___ cash machine near here?
             Answer         a       

EXERCISE 5

(Elementary)

Clique no botão responder para ver a resposta correta.

1. This is Joanna. She's _____ doctor.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
2. Simon is ____ engineer.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         b       
3. That's Sandra. She's ___ hairdresser.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
4. Sean Connery is ___ actor.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         b       
5. John is ____ electrician.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         b       
6. Mr. Sańko is ___ teacher.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
7. This is Shirley. She's ___ housewife.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
8. That's Mark. He's ___ police officer.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
9. I'm ____ student.
   a. a
   b. an
            Answer         a       
10. Kate Winslet is ____ actress.
    a. a
    b. an
             Answer         b