Articles Exercises, Free Printable Articles ESL Worksheets ... - Free Printable

Let’s go through each sentence one by one and decide whether to use “a”, “an”, “the”, or nothing (leave it blank).

Remember the rules from the top of the page:
- Use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound.
- Use “an” before words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
- Use “the” when talking about something specific — either already mentioned or known to both speaker and listener.
- Use nothing before plural nouns when they are not specific, or before some proper nouns like countries, sports, meals, etc.

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1. Would you like __________ cup of tea?
→ “cup” starts with a consonant sound → a

2. It’s getting difficult to find __________ good clothes these days!
→ “clothes” is plural and not specific → nothing

3. I’d like to buy __________ new pair of boots.
→ “pair” starts with a consonant sound → a

4. My mother is __________ manager.
→ Job title, general statement → a

5. May I go to __________ my room, please?
→ “my room” is specific → but we don’t use article before possessive + noun → nothing

6. He hates __________ exercises.
→ Plural, general → nothing

7. John found __________ wallet in __________ market.
→ First mention of wallet → a; “market” is general place → a (unless it’s a specific market, but here it’s not) → a, a

Wait — actually, “in the market” can be idiomatic meaning “available for sale”, but here it says “found wallet in ___ market” — likely means a physical marketplace. Since it’s not specified which market, use “a”. But sometimes “the market” is used generally. Let’s check context: no prior mention → probably a. However, in many cases, “in the market” is fixed phrase. Hmm. Actually, if it’s “found a wallet in the market” — “the market” might refer to the local/main market. But since it’s first mention, better to use “a”. Wait — let’s think again. In British English, “go to the market” is common even if not specific. But here it’s “in ___ market”. To be safe, since it’s not specified, use “a”. But I recall that “market” often takes “the” when referring to the town market. This is tricky. Let me look at standard usage: “He found a wallet in the market.” — yes, “the market” is commonly used even without prior mention, as a general place. So perhaps a, the? Actually, let’s stick to rule: if not specific, use “a”. But “market” is often treated as a specific place in context. I’ll go with a, the because “the market” is a common expression for the local shopping area.

Actually, let’s double-check: in exercise contexts, if it’s “in ___ market” and no prior info, they usually expect “a” for first mention. But I’ve seen both. Let me choose a, a to be consistent with “first mention = indefinite”.

But wait — sentence 16 has “living room” — that will be “the” because it’s specific to the house. Similarly, “market” here might be intended as general. I’ll go with a, a.

Actually, correction: in most grammar exercises, “in the market” is accepted as a set phrase meaning “in the marketplace”. But since this is beginner level, and rule says “use ‘the’ for specific”, and market isn’t specified, I’ll use a for both. Final decision: a, a

8. My elder sister is __________ student in __________ college.
→ “student” — first mention, general → a; “college” — institution, often no article when speaking generally → nothing (like “she goes to college”) → a, nothing

9. __________ young girls are keen on __________ make up.
→ “young girls” — plural, general → nothing; “make up” — uncountable, general → nothing

10. My brother is scared of __________ cats.
→ Plural, general → nothing

11. Anthony plays __________ guitar better than he plays __________ flute.
→ Musical instruments → always use “the” → the, the

12. I have __________ shower every night.
→ “have a shower” is fixed phrase → a

13. They were born in __________ Italy but now they live in __________ Germany.
→ Countries → no article → nothing, nothing

14. __________ humpback whale is __________ biggest mammal in __________ world.
→ “humpback whale” — talking about the species in general → use “the” for unique/specific reference; “biggest” → superlative → always “the”; “world” → unique thing → “the” → The, the, the

15. They play __________ baseball on __________ Sundays.
→ Sports → no article; Days of week → no article unless specific → nothing, nothing

16. There is __________ woman waiting for you in __________ living room.
→ “woman” — first mention → a; “living room” — specific room in the house → the

17. __________ childs are interested in __________ video games.
→ “childs” is wrong — should be “children”, but assuming typo, still plural general → nothing; “video games” — plural general → nothing

18. Go past __________ school, then turn on your left, __________ real estate agent is just there!
→ “school” — could be “the school” if specific, but here it’s directions, so likely “the school” meaning the one nearby; “real estate agent” — specific one being pointed out → the, the

Actually, “go past school” is sometimes used without article in British English, but in American English, “go past the school” is more common. Since the exercise uses “the” for specific things, and here it’s a specific school in the direction, use the. Second part: “the real estate agent” — specific one → the

19. We shouldn’t use __________ margarine!
→ Uncountable, general → nothing

20. Lots of children love __________ fish and juices.
→ Food items, general → nothing

Now let’s list all answers:

1. a
2. (nothing)
3. a
4. a
5. (nothing)
6. (nothing)
7. a, a [but reconsidered — maybe “a, the”? Let me check online or standard: actually, “in the market” is very common. I think for accuracy, it should be “a wallet in the market” — because “the market” refers to the usual marketplace. I’ll change to a, the]
Wait — let’s see sentence 18: “go past ___ school” — if we use “the” there, similarly “in the market” should be “the”. Yes, I think a, the is better for #7.

Similarly, #8: “in ___ college” — if it’s “in college” as in attending, no article. But if it’s “in a college” meaning a building, then “a”. The sentence says “is ___ student in ___ college” — likely means she is a student at a college, so “a student in college” — no article for college. So a, nothing

#14: “The humpback whale” — yes, for species, we use “the” when making general statements about the whole group. “The biggest” — definitely “the”. “In the world” — yes.

#17: “childs” is incorrect, but we treat as “children” → no article.

Final Answers:

1. a
2. —
3. a
4. a
5. —
6. —
7. a, the
8. a, —
9. —, —
10. —
11. the, the
12. a
13. —, —
14. The, the, the
15. —, —
16. a, the
17. —, —
18. the, the
19. —
20. —

Note: “—” means leave blank (no article)

Let me write them clearly:

1. a
2. (blank)
3. a
4. a
5. (blank)
6. (blank)
7. a, the
8. a, (blank)
9. (blank), (blank)
10. (blank)
11. the, the
12. a
13. (blank), (blank)
14. The, the, the
15. (blank), (blank)
16. a, the
17. (blank), (blank)
18. the, the
19. (blank)
20. (blank)

I think that’s correct.

Final Answer:
1. a
2.
3. a
4. a
5.
6.
7. a, the
8. a,
9. ,
10.
11. the, the
12. a
13. ,
14. The, the, the
15. ,
16. a, the
17. ,
18. the, the
19.
20.