Articles are not used in some common fixed expressions. Can you identify them? This grammar exercise tests your ability to use articles correctly.
1............... usually start walking at around one year old.
Wrong!
Use "Children" with no article when you are talking about children in general.
2............... prices have nearly doubled recently.
Wrong!
Use "Oil" with no article when you mean oil in general.
3Do you like ...............?
Wrong!
Use "cats" with no article when you mean cats in general.
4I would like to meet Jhumpa Lahiri, ...............
Wrong!
Use "the writer" when the phrase identifies which famous person you mean.
5Do you know ...............?
Wrong!
Use "the Aldersons" to mean the Alderson family.
6My children love the seaside, but I like ...............
Wrong!
Use "the hills" for this common way of referring to a natural area.
7Can I have ............... pancake?
Wrong!
Use "the last" before "pancake" because "last" needs the definite article here.
8Have you ever heard of ............... Years' War?
Wrong!
Use "the Thirty" because this historical war name begins with the definite article.
9I am ............... in my family.
Wrong!
Use "the youngest" before a superlative adjective in this comparison.
10My brother and his wife live in ...............
Wrong!
Use "London" with no article for the name of a city.
11Let's go by ...............
Wrong!
Use "train" with no article in the fixed expression "by train".
12I am tired. I think I should go to ...............
Wrong!
Use "bed" with no article in the fixed expression "go to bed".
Answers
- Children usually start walking at around one year old.
- Oil prices have nearly doubled recently.
- Do you like cats?
- I would like to meet Jhumpa Lahiri, the writer.
- Do you know the Aldersons?
- My children love the seaside, but I like the hills.
- Can I have the last pancake?
- Have you ever heard of the Thirty Years’ War?
- I am the youngest in my family.
- My brother and his wife live in London.
- Let’s go by train.
- I am tired. I think I should go to bed.