Practice worksheet focusing on using "a," "an," and "the" correctly, with examples and a helpful tip.

Let's solve the exercise step by step. We need to fill in the blanks with a, an, or the appropriately.

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Rule Reminder:

- Use a/an for general, non-specific nouns (singular countable nouns).
- a is used before consonant sounds.
- an is used before vowel sounds.
- Use the when referring to a specific or particular noun that both speaker and listener know about.

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1. Manish bought ___ doll for his sister. ___ doll was ___ gift for her birthday. She liked ___ gift very much.

- First blank: "bought ___ doll" → This is a general doll, not specific → a
- Second blank: "___ doll was..." → Now it refers to the *same* doll mentioned earlier → The
- Third blank: "was ___ gift" → A general gift? But it's the gift for her birthday — this is a specific purpose → a (because it's one of many possible gifts; not a unique one)
- Fourth blank: "She liked ___ gift" → Refers to the same gift just mentioned → the

✔ Answer:
Manish bought a doll for his sister. The doll was a gift for her birthday. She liked the gift very much.

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2. She bought ___ ice cream and gave ___ ice-cream to her little brother.

- "bought ___ ice cream" → General, non-specific → an (since "ice cream" starts with a vowel sound)
- "gave ___ ice-cream" → The same ice cream → the

✔ Answer:
She bought an ice cream and gave the ice-cream to her little brother.

> Note: Even though “ice cream” is uncountable, we use an when referring to a single serving (like a cone). So “an ice cream” is acceptable in informal English.

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3. My grandma brought ___ umbrella and ___ hat from Singapore. She gave me ___ hat, and gave ___ umbrella to my sister.

- First blank: "brought ___ umbrella" → general → an (umbrella starts with vowel sound)
- Second blank: "and ___ hat" → general → a (hat starts with consonant)
- Third blank: "gave me ___ hat" → now it's a specific hat (the one she brought) → the
- Fourth blank: "gave ___ umbrella" → specific umbrella → the

✔ Answer:
My grandma brought an umbrella and a hat from Singapore. She gave me the hat, and gave the umbrella to my sister.

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4. I saw ___ little boy run across. ___ car hit ___ boy. ___ car stopped and ___ man came out of ___ car. ___ man phoned for ___ ambulance immediately. ___ ambulance arrived in no time.

Let’s go sentence by sentence:

- "I saw ___ little boy" → general boy → a (little starts with vowel sound, but "a little boy" is common usage)
- "___ car hit ___ boy" →
- First: a car (general) → a
- Second: the boy (specific – the one just seen) → the
- "___ car stopped" → the car that hit the boy → The
- "___ man came out of ___ car" →
- "man" → the driver, specific → the
- "car" → the same car → the
- "___ man phoned for ___ ambulance" →
- "man" → same man → the
- "ambulance" → a general emergency vehicle → an (vowel sound)
- "___ ambulance arrived" → the ambulance that was called → the

✔ Answer:
I saw a little boy run across. A car hit the boy. The car stopped and the man came out of the car. The man phoned for an ambulance immediately. The ambulance arrived in no time.

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5. ___ old man and ___ little girl entered ___ hotel. ___ old man ordered ___ cup of tea for himself and ___ ice cream for ___ little girl.

- "___ old man" → general → An (old starts with vowel sound)
- "___ little girl" → general → a
- "entered ___ hotel" → a specific hotel? Not yet identified → a
- "___ old man" → now it's the same man → The
- "ordered ___ cup of tea" → a cup (general) → a
- "___ ice cream" → a single serving → an
- "for ___ little girl" → the same girl → the

✔ Answer:
An old man and a little girl entered a hotel. The old man ordered a cup of tea for himself and an ice cream for the little girl.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. Manish bought a doll for his sister. The doll was a gift for her birthday. She liked the gift very much.
2. She bought an ice cream and gave the ice-cream to her little brother.
3. My grandma brought an umbrella and a hat from Singapore. She gave me the hat, and gave the umbrella to my sister.
4. I saw a little boy run across. A car hit the boy. The car stopped and the man came out of the car. The man phoned for an ambulance immediately. The ambulance arrived in no time.
5. An old man and a little girl entered a hotel. The old man ordered a cup of tea for himself and an ice cream for the little girl.

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🔍 Explanation Summary:

- a/an: Used for general, non-specific items.
- the: Used when referring to something specific, known to both speaker and listener.
- When a noun is mentioned for the first time, use a/an; after that, if it's the same thing, use the.
- Pay attention to sounds: "an" before vowel sounds (e.g., "umbrella", "hour"), "a" before consonant sounds.

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