Definite and Indefinite Articles (A, An, The) Examples & Exercises ... - Free Printable
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Step-by-step solution for: Definite and Indefinite Articles (A, An, The) Examples & Exercises ...
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Step-by-step solution for: Definite and Indefinite Articles (A, An, The) Examples & Exercises ...
Let's go through each sentence and explain why the correct article (a, an, or the) is used. This will help you understand the rules of definite and indefinite articles in English.
---
- "A" – used before words starting with a consonant sound.
- "An" – used before words starting with a vowel sound.
- "The" – used for specific, unique, or previously mentioned nouns.
---
#### 01. Boys were going to ______ college.
✔ Answer: the
👉 "College" here refers to a specific college (implied), not any random one. So we use the.
> *Note:* When talking about going to school/college/university in general, we often use the if it’s a known institution.
---
#### 02. Honesty is ______ best policy.
✔ Answer: the
👉 "Best" is superlative, so we always use the with superlatives.
> ✔ Example: *She is the tallest girl.*
---
#### 03. He is ______ man of ability.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Man of ability" means *a capable man* — it's a general description, not a specific person. We use a because "man" starts with a consonant sound.
---
#### 04. Anwar is ______ great poet.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Great" starts with a consonant sound (/g/), so we use a.
> ✔ "Anwar is a great poet" = he is one of many great poets.
---
#### 05. ______ old man was taking tea.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Old" starts with a vowel sound (/əʊ/ → 'o' sound), so we use an.
> ✔ "An old man" = any unspecified elderly man.
---
#### 06. ______ chowkidar employed by our neighbors belongs to ______ noble family.
✔ Answer: The, a
- First blank: The – because it's the *specific* chowkidar hired by your neighbors (known to both speaker and listener).
- Second blank: a – "noble family" is general; we don’t know which one.
> ✔ "The chowkidar... belongs to a noble family."
---
#### 07. He is ______ engineer employed as ______ sub-divisional officer in Rawalpindi.
✔ Answer: an, a
- "Engineer" starts with a vowel sound (/ɪ/), so an.
- "Sub-divisional officer" starts with /s/ (consonant sound), so a.
> ✔ "He is an engineer..." and "...as a sub-divisional officer..."
---
#### 08. ______ sun is hot today.
✔ Answer: The
👉 "Sun" is unique in the universe — there's only one. So we use the.
> ✔ "The sun", "the moon", "the Earth" — all use the.
---
#### 09. I do deserve ______ cup of coffee at this hour.
✔ Answer: a
👉 General reference to *any* cup of coffee. Not a specific one. "Cup" starts with a consonant sound, so a.
---
#### 10. You should take ______ umbrella with you; it may rain.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Umbrella" starts with a vowel sound (/ʌ/), so we use an.
> ✔ "Take an umbrella" – any umbrella.
---
#### 11. Smoking is ______ useless habit.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Habit" starts with a consonant sound. "Useless" is an adjective modifying "habit". It's a general statement.
> ✔ "Smoking is a useless habit" = one of many bad habits.
---
#### 12. I saw ______ old man in ______ street.
✔ Answer: an, the
- "Old man" → an (vowel sound at start)
- "Street" → the because it refers to a specific street (likely known contextually)
> ✔ "I saw an old man in the street" – implies a particular street (e.g., near home, where you usually walk).
---
#### 13. I reached here ______ hour ago.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Hour" starts with a vowel sound (/aʊ/), so we use an.
> ✔ "An hour ago" = one hour ago.
---
#### 14. ______ late Principal of our college was ______ good man.
✔ Answer: The, a
- "Late Principal" → the – because there’s only one principal, and we’re referring to a specific person.
- "Good man" → a – general description; not a specific man.
> ✔ "The late Principal... was a good man."
---
#### 15. ______ leg of ______ chair was broken.
✔ Answer: The, the
- Both are specific: *which leg?* and *which chair?*
- Since both are identified (one leg of a specific chair), we use the for both.
> ✔ "The leg of the chair was broken." → both are uniquely identified.
---
| No. | Sentence | Correct Article(s) |
|-----|---------|--------------------|
| 01 | Boys were going to ______ college. | the |
| 02 | Honesty is ______ best policy. | the |
| 03 | He is ______ man of ability. | a |
| 04 | Anwar is ______ great poet. | a |
| 05 | ______ old man was taking tea. | an |
| 06 | ______ chowkidar... belongs to ______ noble family. | The, a |
| 07 | He is ______ engineer... as ______ sub-divisional officer. | an, a |
| 08 | ______ sun is hot today. | The |
| 09 | I do deserve ______ cup of coffee... | a |
| 10 | You should take ______ umbrella... | an |
| 11 | Smoking is ______ useless habit. | a |
| 12 | I saw ______ old man in ______ street. | an, the |
| 13 | I reached here ______ hour ago. | an |
| 14 | ______ late Principal... was ______ good man. | The, a |
| 15 | ______ leg of ______ chair was broken. | the, the |
---
- Use a/an for general, non-specific things.
- Use the for specific, unique, or previously mentioned things.
- Remember sound, not spelling: *an hour*, *a university* (because "university" starts with a /j/ sound).
- Superlatives always take the.
- Unique things like sun, moon, earth → the.
Let me know if you'd like a printable version or flashcards! 😊
---
🔹 Rules Recap:
- "A" – used before words starting with a consonant sound.
- "An" – used before words starting with a vowel sound.
- "The" – used for specific, unique, or previously mentioned nouns.
---
✔ Sentence-by-Sentence Explanation:
#### 01. Boys were going to ______ college.
✔ Answer: the
👉 "College" here refers to a specific college (implied), not any random one. So we use the.
> *Note:* When talking about going to school/college/university in general, we often use the if it’s a known institution.
---
#### 02. Honesty is ______ best policy.
✔ Answer: the
👉 "Best" is superlative, so we always use the with superlatives.
> ✔ Example: *She is the tallest girl.*
---
#### 03. He is ______ man of ability.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Man of ability" means *a capable man* — it's a general description, not a specific person. We use a because "man" starts with a consonant sound.
---
#### 04. Anwar is ______ great poet.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Great" starts with a consonant sound (/g/), so we use a.
> ✔ "Anwar is a great poet" = he is one of many great poets.
---
#### 05. ______ old man was taking tea.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Old" starts with a vowel sound (/əʊ/ → 'o' sound), so we use an.
> ✔ "An old man" = any unspecified elderly man.
---
#### 06. ______ chowkidar employed by our neighbors belongs to ______ noble family.
✔ Answer: The, a
- First blank: The – because it's the *specific* chowkidar hired by your neighbors (known to both speaker and listener).
- Second blank: a – "noble family" is general; we don’t know which one.
> ✔ "The chowkidar... belongs to a noble family."
---
#### 07. He is ______ engineer employed as ______ sub-divisional officer in Rawalpindi.
✔ Answer: an, a
- "Engineer" starts with a vowel sound (/ɪ/), so an.
- "Sub-divisional officer" starts with /s/ (consonant sound), so a.
> ✔ "He is an engineer..." and "...as a sub-divisional officer..."
---
#### 08. ______ sun is hot today.
✔ Answer: The
👉 "Sun" is unique in the universe — there's only one. So we use the.
> ✔ "The sun", "the moon", "the Earth" — all use the.
---
#### 09. I do deserve ______ cup of coffee at this hour.
✔ Answer: a
👉 General reference to *any* cup of coffee. Not a specific one. "Cup" starts with a consonant sound, so a.
---
#### 10. You should take ______ umbrella with you; it may rain.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Umbrella" starts with a vowel sound (/ʌ/), so we use an.
> ✔ "Take an umbrella" – any umbrella.
---
#### 11. Smoking is ______ useless habit.
✔ Answer: a
👉 "Habit" starts with a consonant sound. "Useless" is an adjective modifying "habit". It's a general statement.
> ✔ "Smoking is a useless habit" = one of many bad habits.
---
#### 12. I saw ______ old man in ______ street.
✔ Answer: an, the
- "Old man" → an (vowel sound at start)
- "Street" → the because it refers to a specific street (likely known contextually)
> ✔ "I saw an old man in the street" – implies a particular street (e.g., near home, where you usually walk).
---
#### 13. I reached here ______ hour ago.
✔ Answer: an
👉 "Hour" starts with a vowel sound (/aʊ/), so we use an.
> ✔ "An hour ago" = one hour ago.
---
#### 14. ______ late Principal of our college was ______ good man.
✔ Answer: The, a
- "Late Principal" → the – because there’s only one principal, and we’re referring to a specific person.
- "Good man" → a – general description; not a specific man.
> ✔ "The late Principal... was a good man."
---
#### 15. ______ leg of ______ chair was broken.
✔ Answer: The, the
- Both are specific: *which leg?* and *which chair?*
- Since both are identified (one leg of a specific chair), we use the for both.
> ✔ "The leg of the chair was broken." → both are uniquely identified.
---
📌 Final Answers Summary:
| No. | Sentence | Correct Article(s) |
|-----|---------|--------------------|
| 01 | Boys were going to ______ college. | the |
| 02 | Honesty is ______ best policy. | the |
| 03 | He is ______ man of ability. | a |
| 04 | Anwar is ______ great poet. | a |
| 05 | ______ old man was taking tea. | an |
| 06 | ______ chowkidar... belongs to ______ noble family. | The, a |
| 07 | He is ______ engineer... as ______ sub-divisional officer. | an, a |
| 08 | ______ sun is hot today. | The |
| 09 | I do deserve ______ cup of coffee... | a |
| 10 | You should take ______ umbrella... | an |
| 11 | Smoking is ______ useless habit. | a |
| 12 | I saw ______ old man in ______ street. | an, the |
| 13 | I reached here ______ hour ago. | an |
| 14 | ______ late Principal... was ______ good man. | The, a |
| 15 | ______ leg of ______ chair was broken. | the, the |
---
✔ Key Takeaways:
- Use a/an for general, non-specific things.
- Use the for specific, unique, or previously mentioned things.
- Remember sound, not spelling: *an hour*, *a university* (because "university" starts with a /j/ sound).
- Superlatives always take the.
- Unique things like sun, moon, earth → the.
Let me know if you'd like a printable version or flashcards! 😊
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of definite and indefinite articles worksheet.
