Worksheet: Definite and Indefinite Articles in Sentences ... - Free Printable

Let's solve each sentence by choosing the correct article (a, an, or the) and then explain why.

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1) The teacher taught us a poem. I liked ________ poem. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: the
👉 We use "the" because we are referring to a specific poem that was already mentioned (the one the teacher taught). It's no longer general — it's known to both speaker and listener.

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2) Derek went to ________ airport to pick up my brother. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: the
👉 We use "the" when referring to a specific airport (likely the one they usually go to, or the one implied by context). If it were any random airport, we might say "an airport," but here it's clearly a specific one.

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3) Selena slept for ________ hour. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: an
👉 We use "an" because "hour" starts with a vowel sound (/ˈaʊər/), and we're talking about a non-specific hour. "An hour" means one hour in general.

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4) Kelly found ________ little stray kitten under ________ porch. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: a, the
- First blank: a – "kitten" is singular and countable; "little" doesn't affect the article choice. We use "a" because it’s a non-specific kitten.
- Second blank: the – "porch" refers to a specific porch (probably their own or a known one).

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5) Lesley and Nate are in ________ backyard. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: the
👉 We use "the" because it's a specific backyard — likely their own or one previously mentioned. Not just any backyard.

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6) Canada is ________ developed country. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: a
👉 We use "a" because "developed country" is a general category. Canada is one example of such a country. No specific one is being referred to.

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7) Alex gave me ________ excellent idea. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: an
👉 Use "an" because "excellent" starts with a vowel sound (/ɪkˈselənt/), and it's a non-specific idea. It’s not a particular idea we've talked about before.

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8) Ms. Higgins has been ________ teacher for 25 years. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: a
👉 Use "a" because she’s been a teacher in general — we’re not specifying *which* teacher or a unique role. It's a profession.

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9) ________ shirt that Ed bought yesterday did not fit. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: the
👉 Use "the" because the sentence includes a defining relative clause ("that Ed bought yesterday"). This specifies which shirt we’re talking about — the one from yesterday.

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10) Dad has already booked ________ flight ticket to Geneva. (a, an, the)

✔ Answer: a
👉 Use "a" because it's a non-specific flight ticket — just one of many possible tickets. We don’t know which exact one, so it's indefinite.

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✔ Final Answers:

1) the
2) the
3) an
4) a, the
5) the
6) a
7) an
8) a
9) the
10) a

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🔍 Summary of Rules Used:

- "a": used before consonant sounds; general, non-specific singular nouns.
- "an": used before vowel sounds; general, non-specific singular nouns.
- "the": used for specific nouns (already known or uniquely identified).

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