English grammar worksheet focusing on articles (a, an, the) with interactive exercises for students.

Let's solve each section of this "Articles: Exercises" worksheet step by step. The focus is on using the correct articles — a, an, the, or no article — in English grammar.

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🔹 I. Write the following words in the correct columns.

We need to separate the words based on whether they take a (before consonant sounds) or an (before vowel sounds).

Words:
- egg
- snake
- tiger
- umbrella
- old house
- new box
- small cat
- girl
- orange
- elephant
- big elephant

> Note: We look at the sound, not just spelling.

#### ✔ Column "a" → Words starting with consonant sound:
- snake (starts with /s/, consonant)
- tiger (/t/)
- umbrella (/ʌm/ – starts with consonant)
- old house (old = /əʊld/ → starts with vowel sound? Wait: “old” begins with a vowel sound /əʊ/, so it should be an old house)
- new box (new = /njuː/ → starts with vowel sound → an)
- small cat (small = /smɔːl/ → starts with /s/ → a)
- girl (/gɜːl/ → /g/ → a)
- elephant (/ˈelɪfənt/ → /e/ → vowel sound → an)
- big elephant (big = /bɪɡ/ → /b/ → a)

Wait! Let’s go carefully:

| Word | Sound | Article |
|------|-------|--------|
| egg | /eg/ → starts with /e/ → vowel sound → an |
| snake | /sneɪk/ → /s/ → consonant → a |
| tiger | /ˈtaɪɡər/ → /t/ → consonant → a |
| umbrella | /ʌmˈbrelə/ → /ʌ/ → vowel → an |
| old house | /əʊld/ → /əʊ/ → vowel → an old house → so an |
| new box | /njuː/ → /n/ → consonant? Wait: "new" starts with /n/, which is a consonant sound → a new box → a |
| small cat | /smɔːl/ → /s/ → a |
| girl | /ɡɜːl/ → /ɡ/ → a |
| orange | /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ → /ɒ/ → vowel → an |
| elephant | /ˈelɪfənt/ → /e/ → vowel → an |
| big elephant | /bɪɡ/ → /b/ → consonant → a big elephant → a |

So now we can categorize:

#### ✔ Column "a":
- snake
- tiger
- small cat
- girl
- new box
- big elephant

#### ✔ Column "an":
- egg
- umbrella
- old house
- orange
- elephant

> ⚠️ Note: "old house" and "new box" are compound nouns, but we consider the first word's sound.

✔ Final Answer:

| a | an |
|-------|--------|
| snake | egg |
| tiger | umbrella |
| small cat | old house |
| girl | orange |
| new box | elephant |
| big elephant | |

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🔹 II. Fill in the gaps with a or an

1. Archie is a big dog. → "dog" starts with /d/ → consonant → a
2. Nick is a student at a language school. → both "student" and "language school" start with consonants → a, a
3. Jane’s mum is a teacher and her dad is an engineer. → "teacher" starts with /t/ → a, "engineer" starts with /ɪ/ → vowel → an
4. We went to see a film yesterday. → "film" starts with /f/ → a
5. There is a sofa and an armchair in the living room. → "sofa" starts with /s/ → a, "armchair" starts with /ɑː/ → vowel → an
6. I wrote an email to my friend in Japan. → "email" starts with /i:/ → vowel → an
7. Ann’s got an evening job as a babysitter. → "evening" starts with /ɪ/ → vowel → an, "babysitter" starts with /b/ → consonant → a

✔ Answers:
1. a
2. a, a
3. a, an
4. a
5. a, an
6. an
7. an, a

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🔹 III. Correct the sentences. Add the.

Add the where necessary.

1. Girls in my class are nice. → No need for the unless specific group. But here it's general → No change.
- ✔ Girls in my class are nice. → OK

2. What’s your date today? → Should be What’s the date today?
- ✘ "date" here means calendar date → specific → the
- ✔ What’s the date today?

3. How old is the boy? → "boy" is specific? Not clear. But if referring to a particular boy, use the.
- But without context, likely refers to a specific boy → the
- ✔ How old is the boy?

4. They aren’t on the table. → Missing the
- ✔ They aren’t on the table.

5. The child looks like his father. → "child" is specific → needs the
- ✔ The child looks like his father.

6. Clean the carpet, please. → Specific carpet → the
- ✔ Clean the carpet, please.

7. How much is the dictionary? → Specific dictionary → the
- ✔ How much is the dictionary?

✔ Final answers:
1. (no change)
2. What’s the date today?
3. How old is the boy?
4. They aren’t on the table.
5. The child looks like his father.
6. Clean the carpet, please.
7. How much is the dictionary?

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🔹 IV. Underline the correct article or no article

1. Put the / -- dictionary in its place. → Specific dictionary → the
- ✔ the

2. It’s a / an big red apple. → "big" starts with /b/ → consonant → a
- ✔ a

3. Whose the / -- jacket is it? → No article needed before possessive question → --
- ✔ --

4. There’s an / -- art gallery and a / -- theatre in our town.
- "art gallery" → starts with /ɑː/ → vowel → an
- "theatre" → starts with /θ/ → consonant → a
- ✔ an, a

5. I go to school by a / -- bus. The / A bus is often late.
- "by bus" → general mode of transport → --
- "The bus" → specific one (the local bus) → the
- ✔ --, the

6. I live in an / a beautiful country. A / The capital city is very old.
- "beautiful country" → general → a (not "an" because "beautiful" starts with /b/)
- "capital city" → specific (only one capital) → the
- ✔ a, the

✔ Final answers:
1. the
2. a
3. --
4. an, a
5. --, the
6. a, the

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🔹 V. Choose the best option to complete the sentences

1. Mary is ___ secondary school student
- "secondary school student" → general person → a
- ✔ B a

2. Has the town got ___ airport?
- General question about existence → an (airport starts with /æ/ → vowel sound)
- ✔ A an

3. Mr. Brown didn’t wear ___ suit this morning. He wore jeans.
- "suit" → specific? No, he didn't wear *any* suit → --
- ✔ C --

4. Sarah lives in ___ old house.
- "old" starts with /əʊ/ → vowel sound → an
- ✔ A an

5. John speaks ___ Chinese.
- Languages don’t take articles → --
- ✔ B --

6. Children don’t go to ___ school on Sundays.
- "school" when used generally (not specific school) → --
- ✔ B --

7. Mrs. Miles stayed in ___ small hotel last month.
- "small hotel" → general, not specific → a
- ✔ C a

✔ Answers:
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. C

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🔹 VI. Correct the mistakes and show the place for articles

Example: Jill watched film in French yesterday.
→ Jill watched a film in French yesterday. (add a before film)

Now:

1. There is new theatre in town centre.
- "new theatre" → specific? Possibly, but likely general → a new theatre
- "town centre" → specific → the town centre
- ✔ There is a new theatre in the town centre.

2. Have you got lot of friends at school?
- "lot" → should be a lot of
- ✔ Have you got a lot of friends at school?

3. Let’s eat at café next to cinema.
- "café" → specific? Probably not → a café
- "cinema" → specific? "next to" implies nearby one → the cinema
- ✔ Let’s eat at a café next to the cinema.

4. Mark has lunch at school. Food at his school is very good.
- First sentence: "has lunch at school" → fine (general)
- Second: "Food at his school" → specific → the food?
- But "food" is general → actually, it's acceptable without article.
- However, better to say: The food at his school is very good. (specific food)
- ✔ Mark has lunch at school. The food at his school is very good.

5. That was interesting and fantastic film. Who was director?
- "interesting film" → general → an interesting and fantastic film
- "director" → specific → the director
- ✔ That was an interesting and fantastic film. Who was the director?

✔ Final corrections:
1. There is a new theatre in the town centre.
2. Have you got a lot of friends at school?
3. Let’s eat at a café next to the cinema.
4. Mark has lunch at school. The food at his school is very good.
5. That was an interesting and fantastic film. Who was the director?

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✔ Summary of All Answers:

#### I. Columns
- a: snake, tiger, small cat, girl, new box, big elephant
- an: egg, umbrella, old house, orange, elephant

#### II. Fill in a/an
1. a
2. a, a
3. a, an
4. a
5. a, an
6. an
7. an, a

#### III. Add the
1. (no change)
2. the date
3. the boy
4. the table
5. The child
6. the carpet
7. the dictionary

#### IV. Underline correct article
1. the
2. a
3. --
4. an, a
5. --, the
6. a, the

#### V. Choose best option
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. C

#### VI. Correct mistakes
1. There is a new theatre in the town centre.
2. Have you got a lot of friends at school?
3. Let’s eat at a café next to the cinema.
4. Mark has lunch at school. The food at his school is very good.
5. That was an interesting and fantastic film. Who was the director?

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