The words a and an are called indefinite articles. We use a or an to talk about one particular person or thing when the listener does not know which person or thing is meant.

• I went to a doctor. (The listener does not know which doctor I went to.)

• She lives in a big house. (The listener does not know which house I am talking about.)

A or an is also used to talk about any one member of a class.

• A spider has eight legs.

Fill in the blanks with the article a or an.

Use a before a consonant sound – a cat, a bird, a child, a book, a tree etc.

Use an before a vowel sound – an apple, an eye, an orange etc.

1. I saw …………………… owl sitting on ……………………. branch.

2. I have …………………….. brother and ………………….. sister.

3. I am reading ………………………. story.

4. ………………….. ant was carrying …………………… grain of rice on his back.

5. She has adopted ………………………… puppy.

6. Can you lend me ……………………. pen?

7. …………………… man is standing at the gate.

8. My sister is ………………………. teacher.

9. ……………………. architect is a person who designs buildings.

10. ……………………… astronaut is ………………… person who travels in ………………… spacecraft.

11. I have ……………………. dream.

12. She is ………………………. honest officer.  

Answers

1. I saw an owl sitting on a branch.

2. I have a brother and a sister.

3. I am reading a story.

4. An ant was carrying a grain of rice on his back.

5. She has adopted a puppy.

6. Can you lend me a pen?

7. A man is standing at the gate.

8. My sister is a teacher.

9. An architect is a person who designs buildings.

10. An astronaut is a person who travels in a spacecraft.

11. I have a dream.

12. She is an honest officer.  

Articles worksheet 2

Fill in the blanks with the article a or an.

1. I had ……………………….. horrible experience yesterday.

2. My sister wants to be ……………………… engineer.

3. He is ……………………. doctor.

4. Sandra has had ……………………… baby.

5. It is going to be ………………………. tough battle.

6. We went to ………………………. nice restaurant yesterday.

7. Let’s go to ………………………. inexpensive restaurant.

8. If you are hungry, I can give you ……………………… apple.

9. Let me tell you …………………….. story.

10. I am drawing ………………………. picture.

11. I have ……………………. uncle who works in Dubai.

12. We had …………………….. guest yesterday.

13. I want to adopt ………………………. puppy.

14. We are throwing …………………….. party tomorrow.

15. The hen has laid ……………………… egg.

16. He is …………………….. honest politician.

17. It took me ……………………… year to finish the project.

18. I have …………………….. toothache.

19. I will tell you …………………………. secret.

20. He married …………………….. writer.

21. I am eating ……………………….. sandwich.

22. They have bought ……………………… apartment in the city.

23. He sang ………………………. song.

24. It is ……………………….. interesting movie.

25. I am reading ………………………….. English novel at the moment.

Answers

1. I had a horrible experience yesterday.

2. My sister wants to be an engineer.

3. He is a doctor.

4. Sandra has had a baby.

5. It is going to be a tough battle.

6. We went to a nice restaurant yesterday.

7. Let’s go to an inexpensive restaurant.

8. If you are hungry, I can give you an apple.

9. Let me tell you a story.

10. I am drawing a picture.

11. I have an uncle who works in Dubai.

12. We had a guest yesterday.

13. I want to adopt a puppy.

14. We are throwing a party tomorrow.

15. The hen has laid an egg.

16. He is an honest politician.

17. It took me a year to finish the project.

18. I have a toothache.

19. I will tell you a secret.

20. He married a writer.

21. I am eating a sandwich.

22. They have bought an apartment in the city.

23. He sang a song.

24. It is an interesting movie.

25. I am reading an English novel at the moment.