Let's solve the exercise step by step.
We are asked to fill in the blanks with
"a" or
"an". The rule for choosing between "a" and "an" is based on the
sound that follows:
- 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).
Let’s go through each sentence:
---
a) I bought _____ orange bag for my little brother.
- "orange" starts with a vowel sound (/ɔːr/ → 'or' sound), so we use
"an".
✔ an orange bag
---
b) Coco is _____ lazy dog.
- "lazy" starts with a consonant sound (/læzi/ → 'l' sound), so we use
"a".
✔ a lazy dog
---
c) I am thirsty. Please give me _____ glass of water.
- "glass" starts with a consonant sound (/glæs/ → 'g' sound), so we use
"a".
✔ a glass of water
---
d) She can ride _____ bike.
- "bike" starts with a consonant sound (/baɪk/ → 'b' sound), so we use
"a".
✔ a bike
---
e) Vini was dressed as _____ elf yesterday.
- "elf" starts with a vowel sound (/ɛlf/ → 'e' sound), so we use
"an".
✔ an elf
---
f) Everyday I eat _____ egg in breakfast.
- "egg" starts with a vowel sound (/ɛɡ/ → 'e' sound), so we use
"an".
✔ an egg
---
g) _____ tooth fairy came & took away my broken tooth.
- "tooth" starts with a consonant sound (/tuːθ/ → 't' sound), so we use
"a".
✔ A tooth fairy
---
h) There is _____ insect under the table.
- "insect" starts with a consonant sound (/ˈɪnˌsekt/ → 'i' but pronounced like /ɪ/, which is a vowel sound? Wait — let's check: actually, it starts with a vowel *sound*? No — the first sound is /ɪ/, which is a vowel sound, so we use
"an".
Wait! This is tricky.
"Insect" begins with the
vowel sound /ɪ/ (like "it"), so even though it starts with the letter 'i', the sound is a vowel.
✔ So, we use
an insect
But wait — actually, no. Let's double-check pronunciation:
- "Insect" = /ˈɪn.sekt/ → starts with /ɪ/, which is a
vowel sound, so we use
"an".
✔ an insect
---
i) Rimu was happy to get _____ gift from her parents.
- "gift" starts with a consonant sound (/ɡɪft/ → 'g' sound), so we use
"a".
✔ a gift
---
j) _____ snail is faster than _____ caterpillar.
- "snail" starts with a consonant sound (/sneɪl/ → 's' sound) →
a
- "caterpillar" starts with a consonant sound (/ˈkætərˌpɪlər/ → 'k' sound) →
a
✔ a snail is faster than
a caterpillar
---
✔ Final Answers:
a)
an orange bag
b)
a lazy dog
c)
a glass of water
d)
a bike
e)
an elf
f)
an egg
g)
A tooth fairy
h)
an insect
i)
a gift
j)
a snail is faster than
a caterpillar
---
🌟 Explanation Summary:
- Use
"a" before words starting with a
consonant sound.
- Use
"an" before words starting with a
vowel sound.
- It's about
sound, not spelling!
- Example: "university" starts with 'u' but sounds like /juː/ → consonant sound → use
"a university"
- But here, "elf", "egg", "insect" all start with vowel
sounds, so use
"an".
Let me know if you'd like this printed or explained further! 😊
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of grammar articles worksheet.
