Definite article exercises for beginners. Exercises "Article a, an, the in English

26.09.2019 -

The tasks are designed to train the material on definite and indefinite articles for beginners. Exercises are given with answers to test your knowledge.

Exercise 1

Put the article x / a / an

1._ girl
2._ house
3._apple
4._ice-cream
5._rose
6._ boy
7._milk
8._egg
9._tree
10._eye

11._orange
12._elephant
13._table
14._umbrella
15._vitamin
16._door
17._doll
18._fish
19._cow
20._tea

Correct answers for exercise #1

1. girl
2. a house
3. an apple
4. an ice-cream
5. a rose
6. boy
7. (x)milk
8. an egg
9. a tree
10. an eye

11. an orange
12. an elephant
13. a table
14. an umbrella
15. a vitamin
16. a door
17. a doll
18. fish
19. a cow
20. (x) tea

Exercise 2

Put the articles where they are needed.

1. Sasha wants … bicycle.
2. I saw…bears.
3. … My car is red.
4. Anna has … cat.
5. I like … sweets.
6. I need ... blue pen.
7. My father is ... teacher.
8. We live in … Moscow.
9. They have … house.
10. This is … orange.

Correct answers for exercise # 2

1. Sasha wants a bicycle.
2. I saw bears.
3. My car is red.
4. Anna has a cat.
5. I like sweets.
6. I need a blue pen.
7. My father is a teacher.
8. We live in Moscow.
9. They have a house.
10. This is an orange.

Exercise #3

Look for mistakes.

1. ball
2.an dolls
3. house
4. a school
5. a TV
6. water
7. a coffee
8. the Russia.
9. a teacher
10.an advice.

Correct answers for exercise # 3

1. ball
2. (x) dolls
3. a house
4. (x) school
5. (x)TV
6. (x)water
7. (x) coffee
8. (x) Russia.
9. (x) teachers
10. (x) advice.

Exercise #4

Choose the correct sentences - where the articles are placed correctly.

a) The car is nice.
b) We saw the Eiffel Tower.
c) He is a Russian gymnast.
d) Dan worked all a Saturday.
e) I don't watch TV.
f) I sent Anna an email.
g) There are six new people.
h) Do you have a pencil?
i) Weather is good today.

Correct answers for exercise # 4

Correct sentences: c; e; g;

Sentences with correctly placed articles:
a) Your car is nice.
b) We saw the Eiffel Tower.
c) He is a Russian gymnast.
d) Dan worked all Saturday.
e) I don't watch TV.
f) I sent Anna an email.
g) There are six new people.
h) Do you have a pencil?
i) The weather is good today.

Exercise #5

Articles in context.
Place the articles where necessary.

1. I planted ... tree in ... my garden ... last year. … tree has now grown big.
2. … Today I saw … my doctor. … doctor said that I should stay … at home for … week.
3. She has … very beautiful daughter. …daughter is 16.
4. I viewed … your video. … video is interesting.
5. I have … cat. … cat is black.
6. What did Kate buy? She bought … new dress.
7. I have … grandmother. … her name is Maria. She likes … flowers very much.
8. There is ... pencil on ... table. Give me … pencil, please.
9. He told ... interesting story. … story was interesting.
10. I live in … Toronto. It' … my favorite city.

Correct answers for exercise # 5

1. I planted a tree in my garden last year. The tree has now grown big.
2. Today I saw my doctor. The doctor said that I should stay at home for a week.
3. She has a very beautiful daughter. The daughter is 16.
4. I viewed your video. The video is interesting.
5. I have a cat. The cat is black.
6. What did Kate buy? She bought a new dress.
7. I have a grandmother. Her name is Maria. She likes flowers very much.
8. There is a pencil on the table. Give me the pencil, please.
9. He told an interesting story. The story was interesting.
10. I live in Toronto. It's my favorite city.

1. Put the articles a or an.

1. … elephant 2. … English dictionary 3. … butterfly 4. … German car 5. … Italian bag 6. … American college 7. … Russian city 8. … French designer 9. … Indian river 10. … egg 11. … notebook 12. … elegant lady 13. … ice-cream 14. … Japanese phone

2. Put the articles a /an or the where appropriate.

I'd like … chicken sandwich and … glass of … mineral water. (I'd like a chicken sandwich and a glass of mineral water.)
Would you like … banana or … strawberries? (Do you want a banana or a strawberry?)
She always has ... apple, ... toast and ... cup of ... coffee for ... breakfast. (She always eats an apple, toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast.)
The fly is on … ceiling in … kitchen. (The fly is on the ceiling in the kitchen.)
My mother is … accountant and my father is … lawyer. They work in … same company in … center of … our town. (My mother is an accountant and my father is a lawyer. They work for the same company in the center of our city.)
How much are … her Italian lessons? – Ten dollars … hour. (How much does her Italian class cost? - Ten dollars an hour.)
Where are … dogs? – They are in … garden. (Where are the dogs? - They are in the garden.)
… cats like eating … fish. … cows like eating … grass. … birds like eating … insects. (Cats love to eat fish. Cows love to eat grass. Birds love to eat insects.)
My favorite subjects are … chemistry and … biology. (My favorite subjects are chemistry and biology.)
There is … parrot in … cage. And there are … pieces of … fruit in it. (There is a parrot in the cage. And there are pieces of fruit in it.)
My granny lives in … small village in … country. (My grandmother lives in a small village in the countryside.)
Your baby shouldn't sit in … sun on … hot day. (Your baby should not sit in the sun on a hot day.)
Please open … book. … exercise is on … page 68. (Please open the book. The exercise is on page 68.)
Ann has been looking for … job for … long time. (Anna has been looking for a job for a long time.)
What's … matter? - I missed ... 6 o'clock train. (What happened? - I missed the 6 o'clock train.)
Do you like … vegetables? (Do you like vegetables?)
… mother has got … terrible headache today. (Mom has a terrible headache today.)
There were … tears in … her eyes. (There were tears in her eyes.)
She is … very nice woman but her sons are … bad boys. (She is a very good woman, but her sons are the bad guys.)
Look at … woman. She is … neighbor I told you about. (Look at the woman. This is the neighbor I told you about.)

3. Put the articles a /an or the where appropriate.

Yesterday I bought … pair of … shoes. Unfortunately… shoes are too tight. (I bought a pair of shoes yesterday. Unfortunately, the shoes are too tight.)
We had … dinner in … restaurant … last night. – What is … name of … restaurant? (Last night we had dinner at a restaurant. - What is the name of the restaurant?)
Tony has two children: … boy and … girl. They are…twins. … girl is in … France now. (Tony has two children: a boy and a girl. They are twins. The girl is now in France.)
Would you like another piece of … cake? - No, ... cake is too fat for me. (Do you want another piece of cake? - No, the cake is too fat for me.)
His office is on … Floor 5. And I live on … tenth floor. (His office is on floor 5. I live on the tenth floor.)
Little Mike leaves for … school very early because … school is quite far from … his home. (Little Mike goes to school very early because the school is quite far from his home.)
Lara saw … letter under … door. She read … letter and started crying. (Lara saw a letter under the door. She read the letter and began to cry.)
Did you enjoy … food at … party … last Friday? (Did you enjoy the food at last Friday night?)
Roger is … scientist, he works for … government. (Roger is a scientist, he works for the government.)
We go to … gym twice … week. (We go to the gym twice a week.)

4. Put articles where necessary.

I come to … work by … bus. Today … bus was a bit late. (I go to work by bus. The bus was a bit late today.)
… Jack is … youngest but … cleverest boy at … school. (Jack is the youngest but smartest boy in the school.)
It rained, so I stayed at … home in … evening. But today… sun is shining brightly in… sky. (It was raining, so I stayed at home in the evening. But today the sun is shining brightly in the sky.)
On … Monday … kids were tired and they went to … bed very early. (On Monday the children were tired and went to bed very early.)
My wife is … best woman in … world and I’m … happiest husband! (My wife is the best woman in the world, and I am the happiest husband!)
They are having … test on … third of December. (They will have a test on the third of December.)
What…beautiful painting! … artist is such … talented person. (What a beautiful picture! The artist is such a talented person.)
Robin Hood robbed … rich and helped … poor. (Robin Hood robbed the rich and helped the poor.)
David is … old friend of mine. He plays … guitar perfectly. His sister has been playing … tennis since … age of ten. (David is an old friend of mine. He plays the guitar very well. His sister has been playing tennis since she was 10.)
… Jacksons live in that lovely cottage with … fantastic garden. (The Jackson family lives in that nice cottage with a fantastic garden.)
Sam used … drugs and was sent to … prison in … August. What a shame! (Sam used drugs and was sent to prison in August. What a shame!)
… Harrisons are not religious and they never go to … church. (The Harrison family is not religious and they never go to church.)
He has been in … hospital for … month. (He has been in the hospital for a month.)
… English are very fond of … gardening. (The English are very fond of gardening.)
I’ve tried to learn … Japanese many times. (I have tried learning Japanese many times.)
She is … famous actress and she often appears on … TV. (She is a famous actress and often appears on television.)
It’s such … original idea! Besides you've got … good sense of humor. (This is such an original idea! Besides, you have a good sense of humor.)
On … rainy day … castle looks like … prison. (On a rainy day, the castle looks like a prison.)

5. Insert articles with proper nouns if necessary.

… Cairo is … capital of … Egypt. (Cairo is the capital of Egypt.)
It was so picturesque in … Crimea … last summer. (It was so picturesque in Crimea last summer.)
... London stands on … Thames. (London stands on the Thames.)
I had … my holiday in … northern Italy … last year but I’m going to cross … Atlantic ocean and visit … USA … next year. (I vacationed in northern Italy last year, but next year I plan to cross the Atlantic and visit the US.)
… Moon moves round … Earth. (The moon moves around the earth.)
... Great Patriotic war started in 1941. (The Great Patriotic War began in 1941.)
… Volga is … longest river in … Russia. (Volga is the longest river in Russia.)
… Ukraine and … Turkey are separated by … Black sea. (Ukraine and Turkey are separated by the Black Sea.)
My friend usually goes to … Alps in … spring by … plane. (My friend usually travels to the Alps in the spring by plane.)
…Urals are lower than…Caucasus. (Ural Mountains below the Caucasus.)
… Great Britain is located on … two large islands. (Great Britain is located on two large islands.)
… Christmas and … Easter are my favorite holidays. (Christmas and Easter are my favorite holidays.)
It takes about … an hour to get from … Domodedovo airport to … Lenin street. (It takes about an hour to get from Domodedovo Airport to Lenina Street.)
What’s … weather like today in … Australia? (What is the weather like in Australia today?)
… Colorado river flows through … Grand Canyon. (The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon.)
My English friend took me to see … National gallery, … Houses of … Parliament and … Tower bridge. (My English friend took me to see the National Gallery, Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.)
… Statue of … Liberty was … present from … French people. (The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French people.)
… Galaxy where we live is called … Milky Way. (The galaxy we live in is called the Milky Way.)

You can also analyze the exercises individually with

One of the significant differences between English and Russian is the use of articles before nouns. This topic is difficult for Russian speakers, because in our native language there are no analogues to these service words. In English, they are used in front of almost every noun, so we simply have to figure out their correct use. We will study the main cases of setting these service parts of speech in a sentence and perform various exercises on articles in English to practice and memorize them.

In total, there are two types of articles in English: and the indefinite article. Each of them has its own meaning, rules and cases of use. The correct use of articles is an important point in English speech, as it allows you to clarify the sentence and achieve understanding with the interlocutor.

Indefinite article

Official word a(an) has a relationship with the numeral one and means the singularity of any case, phenomenon, object. Accordingly, it can only be used with those nouns that are in the singular and belong to the class of countable. Another meaning of this article is the classification of a person / object in the meaning "everyone, anyone, everyone". Consider how indefinite articles are used in English, and later we will work out the exercises.

№	Usage rule	Example
1.	From noun. in the role of the subject in the meaning. "any, anyone."	a doctor should be competent.
2.	From noun. as a subject in constructions with there is.	There is a star in the sky.
3.	From noun. as a direct complement.	I have a book.
4.	From noun. as a predicative (compound predicate).	I am a writer. It's a table.
5.	From noun. with descriptive adj.	I had a big lunch.
6.	In exclamatory pre. with designs What a..! Such a…!	What a fine weather! What a surprise! It's such a hard work!
7.	In stable combinations.	Don't make a mistake. The show was a success.

Grammar note: if the word to which the article refers begins with a vowel, then the article has the form an , in other cases a .

Definite article

Unlike the previous part of speech, the article the is used with all possible classes of nouns, both in the singular and in the plural. It is used in those cases when it comes to a specific object, person, phenomenon. We will understand the rules for the use of this service part of speech and practice their application during the exercise for definite articles in English.

№	Usage rule	Example
1.	The context of the sentence indicates that the person/object is known to the discusser, or it is a noun. is the only one of its kind.	Theboy is clever. (This boy is smart). Thedays are fine. (These days are beautiful) the sky is blue. the sun rises in the East.
2.	Ex. mentioned earlier.	She bought anewcar, the car is white.
3.	Ex. used with ordinal numbers.	I live on the first floor. read the second text.
4.	Ex. used with adj. in superlatives.	This is the best song I've ever heard. It was the most important thing for him.
5.	Ex. plays the role of the circumstance of place in the sentence.	I read a newspaper on the bus. I play soccer in the garden.
6.	Ex. preceded by only, final, next, right/left, last, main, same, right/wrong. Excl. next week	The next stop is mine. It's the only way out. But: See you next week!

Grammar note: no kind of article is used if the nouns are preceded by a pronoun, a demonstrative pronoun, a cardinal number, another noun in the possessive case, or negation no(not not!). Uncountable nouns, with rare exceptions, are used without articles.

So, we have studied the basic rules for the use of articles. There are still separate laws according to which articles are used or not used with geographical names, proper names, names of diseases, as well as nationalities, designations of residents, foreign languages, etc. The list of these special cases is quite extensive, you can read and study it. Now our task is to consolidate the acquired general knowledge. To do this, we will perform grammar exercises on articles in modern English.

Article exercises in English

Let's practice using articles with a few exercises.

Exercise 1 (indefinite article)

Write the indefinite article a or an:

orange

car

mouse

book

apple

word

actor

arm

cat

animal

Exercise 2 (articles)

Fill in the missing article a(an) or the

child needs love and care.

computer is out of order.

What hectic life.

It is the second picture.

students are at canteen.

English is very beautiful language.

It is the final version of our project.

Exercise 3 (article the)

Write the article "the" where necessary or "-" where the article is not needed:

It is mine first book.

fish are hungry.

open window, please.

My grandfather is eldest in our family.

What is right answer?

your sun is set.

Do you like cars?

My mother lives on third floor.

Do you remember Peter's words?

Remember the following rules.

Every common noun must be preceded by an article.

The article is not used if the noun is preceded by a possessive (my) or demonstrative (this) pronoun, another noun in the possessive case (father "s), a cardinal number (five) or negation "no"(not "not").

Exercise 1. Insert the article where necessary.

1. This is ... book. It is my ... book. 2. Is this your ...pencil? - No, it isn't my ... pencil, it is my sister's ... pencil. 3. I have ... sister. My ... sister is ... engineer. My sister "s ... husband is ... doctor. 4. I have no ... handbag. 5. She has got ... headache. 6. Have they got ... car? - Yes, they have. Their ... car is very expensive but reliable. 7. Have you got ... calculator? - No, I haven't. 8. Is this ... watch? - No, it isn't ... watch, it's ... pen. 9. This ... pen is good, and that ... pen is bad. 10. I can see ... pencil on your ... table, but I can see no ... paper. 11. Give me ... chair, please. 12. They have ... dog and two ... cats. 13. I have ... spoon in my ... plate, but I have no ... soup in it. 14. My ... friend says he is going to be ... millionaire one ... day. 15. Would you like ...orange? 16. Mr. Smith is ... artist, Mrs. Smith is ... poetess.

1. This is a book. It is my book. 2. Is this your pencil? - No, it isn't my pencil, it is my sister's pencil. 3. I have a sister. My sister is an engineer. My sister "s husband is a doctor. 4. I have no handbag. 5. She has got a headache. 6. Have they got a car? - Yes, they have. Their car is very expensive but reliable. 7. Have you got a calculator? - No, I haven't. 8. Is this a watch? - No, it isn't a watch, it's a pen. 9. This pen is good, and that pen is bad. 10. I can see a pencil on your table, but I can see no paper. 11. Give me a chair, please. 12, They have a dog and two cats. 13. I have a spoon in my plate, but I have no soup in it. 14. My friend says he is going to be a millionaire one day. 15. Would you like an orange? 16. Mr. Smith is an artist, Mrs. Smith is a poetess.
When we mention an object for the first time, we use the indefinite article before it. a(an). When we mention the same object a second time, we put the definite article in front of it. the.

E.g. This is a book. The book is interesting.

Exercise 2. Insert the article where necessary.

1. Not hasn "t got ... car. But he" s got ... computer. ...computer is new. 2. My ... friends have got ... cat and ... dog. ... dog never bites ... cat. 3. This is ... tree. ... tree is green. 4. I can see three ... boys. ...boys are playing. 5. I have ... bicycle. ... bicycle is black. My ... friend has no ... bicycle. 6. Our ... room is large. 7. We wrote ... dictation yesterday. ... dictation was long. 8. She has two ... daughters and one ... son. Her ... son is ... pupil. 9. Last year I gave my ... mother ... bracelet for her ... birthday. She liked ... bracelet. 10. My ... brother "s ... friend has no ... dog. 11. This ... pencil is broken. Give me that ... pencil, please. 12. She has ... ball. . 13. I got ... letter from my ... friend yesterday ... letter was interesting 14. When they were in Geneva, they stayed at ... hotel. had dinner at ... hotel and sometimes in ... restaurant. 1. He hasn "t got a car. But he "s got a computer. The computer is new. 2. My friends have got a cat and a dog. The dog never bites the cat. 3, This is a tree. The tree is green. 4. I can see three boys. The boys are playing. 5. I have a bicycle. The bicycle is black. My friend has no bicycle. 6. Our room is large. 7. We wrote a dictation yesterday. The dictation was long. 8. She has two daughters and one son. Her son is a pupil. 9. Last year I gave my mother a bracelet for her birthday. She liked the bracelet. 10. My brother"s friendhas no dog. 11. This pencil is broken. Give me that pencil, please. 12. She has a ball. The ball is big. 13. I got a letter from my friend yesterday. The letter was interesting. 14. When they were in Geneva, they stayed at a hotel. Sometimes they had dinner at the hotel and sometimes in a restaurant. 15. I "ve got an idea. 16. What a surprise!
Indefinite article a(an) can only be used with singular countable nouns. The indefinite article is omitted before uncountable or plural nouns. Definite article the It is used with both countable and uncountable nouns, both singular and plural.

E.g. This is a book. The book is interesting.
The book - countable in the singular
This is × meat. The meat is fresh.
The meat - uncountable
These are × books. The books are good.
The books - plural
× - no article

Exercise 3. Insert the article where necessary.

1. This is ... pen. ... pen is red. 2. These are pencils. ... pencils are black. 3. This is ... spup. ... soup is tasty. 4. In the morning I eat ... sandwich and drink ... tea. 5. She gave me ... coffee and ... cake. ...coffee was hot. ... cake was tasty. 6. Do you like ice cream? 7. I see ... book in your ... hand. Is ... book interesting? 8. Do you need ...camera? 9. He never eats ... meat, he always eats ... vegetables, ... cereals, ... seeds, ... fruit, and ... nuts. He is ...vegetarian. 10. This is ... pineapple. ... pineapple is delicious. 11. Elaine, ... apples are good for you! 12. My ... cousin is upset. He "s got ... sore throat. 13. This is ... cottage cheese. ... cottage cheese is fresh. 14. She bought ... meat, ... butter and ... potatoes yesterday. She also bought ... cake. ... cake was very ... tasty. We ate ... cake with ... tea. 15. This is my ... table. On ... table I have ... book , two ... pencils, ... pen and ... paper. 16. This is ... bag. ... bag is brown. It is my sister's ... bag. And this is my ... bag. It is...yellow.

1. This is a pen. The pen is red. 2. These are pencils. The pencils are black. 3. This is soup. The soup is tasty. 4. In the morning I eat a sandwich and drink tea. 5. She gave me coffee and a cake. The coffee was hot. The cake was tasty. 6. Do you like ice cream? 7. I see a book in your hand. Is the book interesting? 8. Do you need a camera? 9. He never eats meat, he always eats vegetables, cereals, seeds, fruit, and nuts. He is a vegetarian. 10. This is a pineapple. The pineapple is delicious. 11. Elaine, apples are good for you! 12. My cousin is upset. He "s got a sore throat. 13. This is cottage cheese. The cottage cheese is fresh. 14. She bought meat, butter and potatoes yesterday. She also bought a cake. The cake was very tasty. We ate the cake with tea 15. This is my table. On the table I have a book, two pencils, a pen and paper. 16. This is a bag. The bag is brown. It is my sister's bag. And this is my bag. It is yellow.
Remember the following phrases in which the article is not used:

at school - at school

At home - at home

At work - at work

Exercise 4. Insert the article where necessary.

1. I have two ... sisters. My ... sisters are ... students. 2. We are at ... home. 3. My ... brother is not at ... home, he is at ... school. 4. My ... mother is at ... work. She is ... doctor. 5. I am not ... doctor. 6. I have no ... sister. 7. He is not ... pilot. 8. I have thirty-two ... teeth. 9. He has ... child. 10. She has two ... children. Her children are at ... school. 11. Is your father at... home? - No, he is at... work. 12. Where is your ... brother? - He is at ... home. I have two sisters. My sisters are students. 2. We are at home. 3. My brother is not at home, he is at school. 4. My mother is at work. She is a doctor. 5. I am not a doctor. 6. I have no sister. 7. He is not a pilot. 8. I have thirty-two teeth. 9. He has a child. 10. She has two children. Her children are at school. 11. Is your father at home? - No, he is at work. 12. Where is your brother? - He is at home.
If an adjective is used before a noun, it is placed between the article and the noun.

E.g. This is a book. This is a good book.

Exercise 5. Insert the article where necessary.

1. We have ... large ... family. 2. My granny often tells us ... long ... interesting .. stories. 3. My ... father is ... engineer. He works at ... factory. ... factory is large. 4. My ... mother is ... doctor. She works at ... large ... hospital. She is at ... work now. 5. My ... aunt is ... teacher. She works at ... school. ... school is good. My ... aunt is not at ... school now. She is at ... home. She is drinking ... tea and eating ... jam. ... jam is sweet. I am at ... home, too. I am drinking ... tea and eating ... sandwich. ... sandwich is tasty. 6. My sister is at ... school. She is ...pupil. 7. My cousin has... big... black... cat. My cousin's ... cat has two ... kittens. ... cat likes ... milk. ... kittens like ... milk, too. 8. I am ... engineer. 9. My. 10. He is ... good ... pupil 11. This is ... house 12. This is my ... pencil 13. You have some ... pencils , but I have no ... pencil.

1. We have a large family. 2. My granny often tells us long interesting stories. 3. My father is an engineer. He works at a factory. The factory is large. 4. My mother is a doctor. She works at a large hospital. She is at work now. 5. My aunt is a teacher. She works at school. The school is good. My aunt is not at school now. She is at home. She is drinking tea and eating jam. The jam is sweet. I am at home, too. I am drinking tea and eating a sandwich. The sandwich is tasty. 6. My sister is at school. She is a pupil. 7. My cousin has a big black cat. My cousin "s cat has two kittens. The cat likes milk. The kittens like milk, too. 8. I am an engineer. 9. My son is a pupil, 10. He is a good pupil. 11. This is a house 12. This is my pencil. 13. You have some pencils, but I have no pencil. Give me a pencil, please. 14. What a pity! I can't come to the party tonight.
Often, even when we mention an object for the first time, we nevertheless use the definite article in front of it:

a) if the item mentioned is the only one in the world

E.g. The sun shining is brightly. - The sun is shining brightly

b) if this subject is specific to the situation

E.g. Put the book on the table. - Put the book on the table.

Exercise 6. Insert the article where necessary.

1. What's ... weather like today? - ... weather is fine. 2. ... sun is yellow. 3. ... sky is gray today. 4. ... Earth is ... planet 5. We had ... English lesson yesterday ... teacher asked me many ... questions. ... questions were difficult. 6. Where is your ... brother? - Not is at ... home. 7. Our ... cat is sitting on ... sofa. 8 9. Nick went into ... bathroom, turned on ... water and washed his ... hands. 1. What's the weather like today? - The weather is fine. 2. The sun is yellow. 3. The sky is gray today. 4. The Earth is a planet. 5. We had an English lesson yesterday. The teacher asked me many questions. The questions were difficult. 6. Where is your brother? - He is at home. He is in his room. He is sitting at the table. He is doing his homework. The homework is difficult. 7. Our cat is sitting on the sofa. 8. It is very dark in the room. Turn on the light, please. 9. Nick went into the bathroom, turned on the water and washed his hands.

Exercise 7. Insert the article where necessary.

1. This is ... good ... book. Take ... book from ... table. Put this ... book into ... bookcase. 2. ...weather is fine today. ... sky is blue. ... sun shining is brightly in ... blue ... sky. 3. This is ... boy. ... boy is at ... school. He is ...pupil. This ... boy is my ... brother "s ... friend. He has ... cat, but he has no ... dog. He likes his ... cat. He gives ... cat .. 4. Yesterday I received ... letter from my ... friend. ... letter was interesting. 5. We live in... big house. I like ... house very much. Are you ... worker? - No, I am ... student. 7. I like your ... beautiful ... flower. Give me ... flower, please. 8. My ... mother is at. .. home. She is reading ... interesting ... book. 9. My ... father is not at ... home. He is at ... work. He is ... doctor. He is .. 1. This is a good book. Take the book from the table. Put this book into the bookcase. 2. The weather is fine today. The sky is blue. The sun is shining brightly in the blue sky. 3. This is a boy. The boy is at school. He is a pupil. This boy is my brother "s friend. He has a cat, but he has no dog. He likes his cat. He gives the cat milk every day. 4. Yesterday I received a letter from my friend. The letter was interesting. 5. We live in a big house. I like the house very much. 6. Are you a worker? - No, I am a student. 7. I like your beautiful flower. Give me the flower, please. 8. My mother is at home. She is reading an interesting book. 9. My father is not at home. He is at work. He is a doctor. He is a good doctor. He works at a hospital. The hospital is large.
In addition, there is a huge number of so-called "frozen phrases," in which the article is used or absent traditionally. These phrases have to be learned by heart.

Remember the following structures.

There is a ____.

Where is the ____ ?

Remember also the following sentences:

The (book) is on the (table).

Ho: The (book) is on a little (table)

The noun in brackets can be anything. The adjective can also be anything. Instead of the preposition "on" there can be any other preposition or a phrase replacing it, for example, "in front of".

Exercise 8. Insert the article where necessary.

1. There is ... big tree in ... garden. 2. There is ... a bank near here. - Where is ... bank? 3. There is ... new supermarket in ... center of our ... town. 4. There is ... hotel over there. ... hotel isn't cheap. 5. Where is ... cat? - ... cat is on ... sofa. 6. Where is ... book? - ... book is on ... shelf 7. Where are ... flowers? - ... flowers are in ... beautiful vase. 8. Where is ... vase? - ... vase is on ... little table near ... window. 9. Open ... window, please. ... weather is fine today. I can see ... sun in ... sky. I can see ... nice little bird. ... bird is sitting in .. 10. There is ... little white cloud in ... sky 11. We have ... large room. There is ... big sofa in ... room and ... little lamp on ... wall over ... sofa. I like to sit on ... sofa and read ... good book. 1. There is a big tree in the garden. 2. There is a bank near here. - Where is the bank? 3. There is a new supermarket in the center of our town. 4. There is a hotel over there. The hotel isn't cheap. 5. Where is the cat? - The cat is on the sofa. 6. Where is the book? - The book is on the shelf. 7. Where are the flowers? - The flowers are in a beautiful vase. 8. Where is the vase? - The vase is on a little table near the window. 9. Open the window, please. The weather is fine today. I can see the sun in the sky. I can see a nice little bird. The bird is sitting in a big tree. The tree is green. 10. There is a little white cloud in the sky. 11. We have a large room. There is a big sofa in the room and a little lamp on the wall over the sofa. I like to sit on the sofa and read a good book.
Remember the following frozen phrase:

in front of - before

Exercise 9. Insert the article where necessary.

1. There is ... wonderful small computer in ... front of ... books there. 2. Where is ... soup? - ... soup is in ... big saucepan on ... gas cooker. 3. Where are ... cutlets? - ... cutlets are in ... refrigerator on ... little plate. 4. There is no ... bread on ... table. Where is...bread? 5. There is ... little brown coffee table in our ... room in ... front of ... sofa. 6. Where is ... table in your ... room? 7. There is ... thick carpet on ... floor in my mother's ... room. 8. Is your brother at ... home? - No, he is at ... work. He works at. .. big factory. He is ... engineer. 9. My sister has many ... books. ... books are in ... big bookcase. 10. ... weather is fine today. Let "s go and play in ... yard. There are many ... children in ... yard. They are playing with ... ball.

1. There is a wonderful small computer in front of the books there. 2. Where is the soup? - The soup is in a big saucepan on the gas cooker. 3. What are the cutlets? - The cutlets are in the refrigerator on a little plate. 4. There is no bread on the table. Where is the bread? 5. There is a little brown coffee table in our room in front of the sofa. 6. Where is the table in your room? 7. There is a thick carpet on the floor in my mother's room. 8. Is your brother at home? - No, he is at work. He works at a big factory. He is an engineer. 9. My sister has many books. The books are in a big bookcase. 10. The weather is fine today. Let's go and play in the yard. There are many children in the yard. They are playing with a ball.
Remember the following constructions that require the indefinite article:
I have a ____ . I have ____ . This is a ____ . This is ____ . I am a ____ . I ____ . Not has but ____. He has ____ . That is a ____. That ____ . Not is but ____ . He ____ . I see a ____ . I see ____ . It is a ____. This is ____ . She is a ____. She is ____ . There is a ____ . There is (is) something somewhere.
Instead of ____, you need to put a noun in the singular.

Exercise 10. Insert the article where necessary.

1. I see ... bottle of ... pineapple ... juice on ... kitchen table. 2. Her ... son has ... great ... sense of ... humor. 3. There was ... discotheque at ... club last Saturday but he didn't go. 4. Is there ... bus stop near ... building? 5. We have ... big dog. ... dog is very clever 6. My friend has ... very good computer 7. This ... boy is big. He is ... student 8. There is ... very big piano in ... hall. 9. This is ... tree and that is not ... tree. It's ... bush. 10. I am... boy. I am...pupil. I learn at ... school. 11. My sister is at... work. She is ...secretary. She works at ... large offices. 12. This is ... very difficult question. I don "t know ... answer to it. 13. Do you see ... little girl with ... big ball in her ... hands? She is ... pupil of our ... school. 14. There was ... beautiful flower in this ... vase yesterday. Where is ... flower now? 15. Last year we were in Geneva. It is ... exciting city to visit, but ... very expensive place to live.

1. I see a bottle of pineapple juice on the kitchen table. 2. Her son has a great sense of humor. 3. There was a discotheque at the club last Saturday but he didn't go. 4. Is there a bus stop near the building? 5. We have a big dog. The dog is very clever. 6. My friend has a very good computer. 7. This boy is big. He is a student. 8. There is a very big piano in the hall. 9. This is a tree and that is not a tree. It's a bush. 10. I am a boy. I am a pupil. I learn at school. 11. My sister is at work. She is a secretary. She works at a large office. 12. This is a very difficult question. I don "t know the answer to it. 13. Do you see a little girl with a big ball in her hands? She is a pupil of our school. 14. There was a beautiful flower in this vase yesterday. Where is the flower now?15. Last year we were in Geneva.It is an exciting city to visit, but a very expensive place to live.
Remember the following frozen phrases:

in the middle - in the middle

in the corner - in the corner

to the right - to the right

to the left - to the left

Exercise 11. Insert the article where necessary.

1. There is ... jar of ... orange ... marmalade in ... middle of ... shelf. 2. There is ... big ... box of ... cereal to ... right of you. 3. There is ... bunch of ... bananas on ... table. Don "t keep them in ... refrigerator. 4. There is ... loaf of ... white ... bread on ... upper ... shelf of ... refrigerator. If you want your ... bread to be fresh, keep it only in ... refrigerator. corner of ... kitchen. 7. There is ... thick red ... carpet in my ... room. ... carpet is on ... floor in ... front of ... sofa. 8. Where is ... table in your brother's ... room? - His ... table is near ... window. 9. I can see... fine... vase on... shelf. Is it your...vase? 10. We have no ... piano in our ... living room. 11. My ... uncle is ... married. He has ... beautiful wife. They have ... son, but they have no ... daughter. 12. I can see ... nice ... coffee table in ... middle of ... room to ... right of ... door. It is ... black and ... red. I like...coffee table. 13. Our ... TV set is on ... little ... table in ... corner of ... room. 14. There is... beautiful picture in my father "s ... study. ... picture is on ... wall to ... left of ... window. 1. There is a jar of orange marmalade in the middle of the shelf. 2. There is a big box of cereal to the right of you. 3. There is a bunch of bananas on the table. Don't keep them in the refrigerator. 4. There is a loaf of white bread on the upper shelf of the refrigerator. If you want your bread to be fresh, keep it only in the refrigerator. 5. Is there a bag of flour in the cupboard? 6. There was a bottle of lemonade in the corner of the kitchen. 7. There is a thick red carpet in my room. The carpet is on the floor in front of the sofa. 8. Where is the table in your brother's room? - His table is near the window. 9. I can see a fine vase on the shelf. Is it your vase? 10. We have no piano in our living room. 11 12. I can see a nice coffee table in the middle of the room to the right of the door. It is black and red 13. Our TV set is on a little table in the corner of the room 14. There is a beautiful picture in my father's study. The picture is on the wall to the left of the window. 15. What a picture!

Exercise 12. Insert the article where necessary.

My aunt's flat is in ... new house. There is ... living room, ... bedroom, ... study, ... bathroom and ... kitchen in ... flat. ... bedroom is ... large room with ... two windows. ... room is light as ... windows are large. There are ... white curtains on ... windows. There are ... two beds with .. There are ... small tables near ... beds. There are ... lamps on them. To ... left of ... door there is ... dressing table with ... mirror on it. There is ... low chair at ... dressing table. There are ... several pictures on ... pale green walls. There is ... thick carpet on ... floor. ... carpet is dark green... room is very cozy.

My aunt "s flat is in a new house. There is a living room, a bedroom, a study, a bathroom and a kitchen in the flat. The bedroom is a large room with two windows. The room is light as the windows are large. There are white curtains on the windows. There are two beds with large pillows on them. There are small tables near the beds. There are lamps on them. To the left of the door there is a dressing table with a mirror on it There is a low chair at the dressing table. There are several pictures on the pale green walls. There is a thick carpet on the floor. The carpet is dark green. The room is very cozy.
If the construction there is (there are) is followed by an uncountable or plural noun, the word "some." is often (not necessarily) used instead of the omitted indefinite article.

Exercise 13. Insert the article where necessary.

1. There is ... park behind ... hospital. There are ... beautiful ... trees in ... park. 2. There is ... good ... film on TV this ... evening. I am going to watch it. 3. There is ... library between ... school and ... bank. There are ... English and German books in this ... library. 4. There is ... sofa in ... corner of ... room. 5. There are ... cushions on ... sofa. 6. There are ... books on ... shelf. Give me ... book, please. 7. Look into ... refrigerator. What can you see on ... shelves? - There is ... butter in ... butter dish. There is ... sausage, but there is no ... cheese. There are ... eggs and ... apples. There is ... orange, ... lemon, and ... jam in ... little vase. 8. There is ... juice in this ... cup. May I drink ... juice? 9. There are ... girls in ... yard, but I can see no ... boys. Where are...boys? - Oh, all... boys are playing football at... stadium. 10. There is ... a peculiar charm in her ... voice. 1. There is a park behind the hospital. There are some beautiful trees in the park. 2. There is a good film on TV this evening. I am going to watch it. 3. There is a library between the school and the bank. There are some English and German books in this library. 4. There is a sofa in the corner of the room. 5. There are some cushions on the sofa. 6. There are some books on the shelf. Give me a book, please. 7. Look into the refrigerator. What can you see on the shelves? - There is some butter in the butter dish. There is some sausage, but there is no cheese. There are some eggs and some apples. There is an orange, a lemon, and some jam in a little vase. 8. There is some juice in this cup. May I drink the juice? 9. There are some girls in the yard, but I can see no boys. Where are the boys? - Oh, all the boys are playing football at the stadium. 10. There is a peculiar charm in her voice. 11. There is (some) money in the purse.

The use of articles in English: definite article the, indefinite article a (an), zero article.

The use of articles in English is a difficult task for beginners to learn this one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. There are three types of articles in English, and although there are clear rules for explaining their use, choosing the correct article can sometimes be difficult.

There are three articles in English:

definite articlethe : Did you enjoy the party?- Did you enjoy the party?

two indefinite articles in English:

Article a- use if the following word begins with a consonant: I'm reading a book about England- I am reading a book about England

Article an- if the word after it starts with a vowel: I read an interesting story - I read an interesting story

“zero article” (zero article in English) is the absence of articles:Does she like meat or fish?Does she like meat or fish?

Articles in English can come directly before a noun:

She is an artist - she is an artist

In addition, articles in English can be separated from a noun using an adverb or adjective:

the newly renovated church - newly renovated church

a beautiful young woman - a beautiful young woman

Rules for the use of articles in English

The use of indefinite articles in English "a" and "an" :

1. Indefinite articles in English “a” or “an” are used with nouns only in the singular in the following cases:

1.1. If the object or person is mentioned for the first time, and also if the noun is preceded by an adjective in the function of defining a descriptive character:

Can I make a suggestion? - May I guess?

Suddenly there was a loud bang- suddenly there was a loud bang

1.2. With nouns in the construction “there is” (there was):

There was a noise outdoors - there was some noise on the street

1.3. With nouns combined with the adjective “such”:

such a day, such a car, etc.

1.4. In exclamatory sentences with an intensifying pronoun “ what" Indefinite articles are used in English:

What a day! “What a nice trip!”

1.5. With nouns preceded by the word “half”:

half an hour, half a day, etc.

1.6. Words that begin with the letter “ u”, provided that it is pronounced like / ju: / (for example, “ united”, “ useful”), are always used with the article “ a” (not “an”):

English is an universal language

English is a universal language

1.7. The words “one and ones” and all phrases starting with these words (such as one-sided, once-over) are always used with the article “a”:

a one-parent family, a one-way trip etc.

1.8. If abbreviations start with letters: F, H, L, M, N, R, S or X, and the pronunciation of these letters begins with a vowel (for example, F is pronounced like / ef /), then in such cases the indefinite article is always used "an" (not "a"):

an MBA degree, an FBI agent, etc..

1.9. As part of some stable combinations, the indefinite article is used in English:

a lot of, twice a day, as a result, it's a pity.

1.10. With professions:

a pilot, an engineer.

The use of the definite article in English ”the”

2. The definite article the in English is used both with the singular and with the plural; both with countable and uncountable nouns in the following cases:

2.1. When it comes to a specific person or thing in a specific situation: Can you walk the dog? Can you put the book on the table? Both interlocutors know which dog and which book they are talking about. In other words, the definite article the is the equivalent of the expression "that particular one over there." Imagine that you are returning from the store and say to your friend: "I bought the phone." With these words, you will mislead your friend, because in fact you said: "I bought (la) that phone over there", and your friend has no idea what phone he is talking about. Therefore, when mentioning an object or person for the first time, it would be correct to say: I bought a phone yesterday.

2.2. If an object or phenomenon has a description:

“This is the phone that I was telling you about yesterday”.

2.3. If the subject or person was mentioned in the context earlier:

This is a house. The house is very old.

2.4. If a noun in English expresses a one-of-a-kind object, the definite article the is put:

the sun, the world, the sky, the universe, or the only object in a certain space: the door, the window etc.

2.5. Combined with superlative adjectives:

the best friend, the longest trip etc.

2.6. In combination with ordinal numbers in English:

the first day, the second chance, etc..

2.7. When used with the adjective “same”:

the same day, the same time, etc..

2.8. With nouns denoting the names of lakes, waterfalls, straits, mountain ranges, groups of islands, cardinal points, rivers, seas, oceans:

the Thames, the Atlantic Ocean, the Alps, the Bermudas, the English Channel, the Gulf Stream, the Suez Canal, the Niagara Falls etc.

2.9. With country names consisting of several words, including the following: federation, republic, union, state, kingdom. For example:

the German Federal Republic, the USA, the UK etc.

2.10. The names of deserts also use the definite article the in English:

the Sahara Desert

2.11. As an exception, the definite article the in English is used with the following geographical names: the Netherlands (translated into Russian - Nobody's Lands, to show that they still belong to someone, they use the definite article in English):

the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Vatican, the Congo, the Lebanon, the Hague and with some others

2.12. With nouns denoting the names of hotels, theaters, museums, courts:

the Hilton, the Covent Garden, the Titanic, the Bolshoy Theater etc.

2.13. With nouns denoting the names of English-language newspapers:

the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, etc..

2.14. As part of stable combinations, the definite article the is used:

to play the piano/ the violin / the guitar / the cello etc., to tell the truth, to go to the cinema/ theatre, to listen to the radio, the other way

2.15. With surnames, if the surname is plural and denotes the whole family:

the Smiths, the Browns, etc.

The use of the zero article “zero article" (omission of articles in English)

3. Articles in English are omitted in the following cases:

3.1. Before proper names, as well as before nouns denoting ranks and titles:

Professor N., General B., Queen Y.

3.2. Before nouns denoting days of the week in English:

Monday, Sunday….

3.3. With nouns combined with prepositions in English “from ….to, from …. till”:

from beginning to end, from north to south, from nothing till everything, from head to foot etc.

3.4. With nouns followed by a number or number:

page 45, room 8, tram 7

3.5. With nouns after the verbs “to appoint”, “to elect”:

to appoint director, to elect deputy.

3.6. Articles in English are not used with nouns denoting the following geographical concepts:

3.6.1. names of continents, as well as countries and cities, consisting of one proper name:

Europe, Asia, Australia, France, Italy, Spain etc.

3.6.2. the names of individual islands (if these are not groups of islands), mountains (if this is not a mountain range), as well as the names of lakes (if their name contains the word “Lake”):

Malta, Elbrus, Lake Ontario etc.

3.6.3. names of streets and squares:

Red Square, Trafalgar Square, Street, Regent Street etc.

3.7. In the headlines of newspapers and magazine articles:

Tasty farewell to winter, Color of Dream

3.8. In some stable combinations, articles in English are not used:

on foot, by heart, by car, at home, etc..

3.9. When using such nouns in a general sense:

Time is money. Life isn't easy. Love and friendship …

When defining these nouns in a concretized meaning, the definite article in English is used:

Don't you know anything about the life of this people? Where is the money I've laid on the shelf?