The words a, an and the are called articles. Always use an article or another determiner with a singular countable noun. For example, we say: a cat, the cat, my cat, that cat or any cat. We do not just say ‘cat’.

Plural and uncountable nouns are usually used without articles when we are talking about people or things in general.

Compare:

• I have a cat.
• Cats are gorgeous.
• She is a teacher.
• Teachers should have patience.
• This is a documentary on the life of Satyajit Ray.
• Life is full of ups and downs.

Worksheet 1

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate article. In some cases, no articles are required.

1. Don’t use your nail as ……………………… screwdriver.

2. He needs to see ……………………… doctor.

3. Everyone wants to find ………………….. happiness.

4. ……………………. teacher must be patient.

5. ……………………. applicants should have ………………….. bachelor’s degree.

6. Do you like …………………….. animals?

7. …………….. animals have ………………….. same rights as ……………………… humans.

8. She was delighted to hear ………………………. news.

9. Who invented ………………………. computer?

10…………………… children as young as one year old can understand ……………………. languages.

11. In order to achieve ………………………. success, you have to work hard.

12. Does ………………….. money buy ……………………. happiness?

Answers

1. a, 2. a, 3. no article, 4. a, 5. The, a, 6. no article, 7. no article, the, no article, 8. the, 9. the, 10. no articles, 11. no article, 12. (We do not normally use articles with uncountable nouns.)

Worksheet 2

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate article. In some cases, no articles are needed.

1. ………………….. rumors spread fast.

2. I heard ……………….. rumour about him …………….. other day.

3. Where are ……………………. other boys?

4. They live on ………………….. tenth floor.

5. The child gave …………………. beggar ………………. coin.

6. She feeds ……………………. stray cats.

7. I want to know …………………. reason why you don’t talk to me.

8. She does not have ………………….. right to criticize me.

9. I have not finished reading ………………… novel I borrowed from you.

10. I hate having to wait for ………………… people who are always late.

11. They have ………………… shop across …………………. street.

12. He swam across …………………. river.

13. He used to play …………………. lot of football at university.

14. At ……………… home the speak ……………….. Hindi.

15. There are a few eggs in ………………….. fridge.

16. He died at ………………….. young age.

17. I still remember …………………… day I first met him.

18. They met on …………………. fateful Monday in ………………….. December.

19. She died on …………………… Friday after ………………….. accident.

20. He has been missing for ……………………. week.

Answers

1. No article
2. a, the
3. the
4. the
5. the, a
6. No article (Articles are used with plural and uncountable nouns only when we are talking about particular people or things.)
7. the
8. the
9. the
10. No article
11. a, the
12. the
13. a
14. No article, no article (Articles are omitted in the expression ‘at home’. Articles are not used with the names of languages.)
15. the
16. a
17. the
18. a, no article (We are talking about a particular Monday here; hence, an article is used with it.)
19. the, the
20. a