Fill in the blanks with an appropriate article.
1Yesterday I heard ............... interesting story, which is ............... best I have ever heard.
Wrong!
Use "an, the" because "interesting" begins with a vowel sound and superlatives take "the".
2I saw ............... pretty woman in the store.
Wrong!
Use "a" because the woman is mentioned for the first time and is not specified.
3Ceylon is ............... island in ............... Indian Ocean.
Wrong!
Use "an, the" because "island" begins with a vowel sound and ocean names take "the".
4He has ............... keen eye for detail.
Wrong!
Use "a" in the fixed expression "a keen eye for detail".
5He was ............... only child of a rich merchant.
Wrong!
Use "the" before "only child" when referring to the unique child in a family.
6We expect ............... official inquiry into the incident.
Wrong!
Use "an" because "official" begins with a vowel sound and the inquiry is first mentioned.
7............... man in the next bed is ............... heart patient.
Wrong!
Use "The, a" because the man is specified (the one in the next bed), but "heart patient" classifies him generally.
8Son: "I want ............... pencil." Father: "Where is ............... pencil I gave you yesterday?"
Wrong!
Use "a, the" because the son asks for any pencil, and then the father identifies a specific one: the one he gave yesterday.
9I saw ............... old man with ............... umbrella.
Wrong!
Use "an, an" because both "old" and "umbrella" begin with vowel sounds.
10I saw ............... rhino at the city zoo.
Wrong!
Use "a" because "rhino" is singular, countable, and mentioned for the first time.
11May is ............... hottest month of the year.
Wrong!
Use "the" before a superlative adjective such as "hottest".
12There is ............... school for ............... blind in this city.
Wrong!
Use "a, the" because one school is introduced and "the blind" means blind people as a group.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Yesterday I heard an interesting story, which is the best I have ever heard.
- I saw a pretty woman in the store.
- Ceylon is an island in the Indian Ocean.
- He has a keen eye for detail.
- He was the only child of a rich merchant.
- We expect an official inquiry into the incident.
- The man in the next bed is a heart patient.
- Son: “I want a pencil.” Father: “Where is the pencil I gave you yesterday?”
- I saw an old man with an umbrella.
- I saw a rhino at the city zoo.
- May is the hottest month of the year.
- There is a school for the blind in this city.