Articles: B1 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. I saw ___ interesting documentary last night. → an

An is used before a vowel sound, and interesting begins with one.

2. She bought a jacket, but ___ jacket did not fit. → the

Second mention: the listener can now identify which jacket is meant.

3. ___ dogs need daily exercise. → No article

A general statement about a whole species takes a plural with no article.

4. He plays ___ piano beautifully. → the

Musical instruments take the after play, unlike sports, which take nothing.

5. My brother is ___ engineer. → an

Professions take a or an, and engineer begins with a vowel sound.

6. What is the difference between 'go to school' and 'go to the school'? → The first is about being a pupil, the second about the building

Zero article names the purpose of the institution; the names the physical place.

7. We sailed down ___ Danube last summer. → the

Rivers always take the.

8. ___ Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. → No article

Single mountains take no article, though mountain ranges take the.

9. She is ___ best candidate we interviewed. → the

Superlatives are unique, so they take the.

10. ___ water in this bottle tastes strange. → The

The uncountable noun is made specific by in this bottle, so it takes the.

11. He was taken to ___ hospital after the accident. → no article

In British English, go to hospital as a patient takes no article.

12. I need ___ hour to finish this. → an

The h in hour is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound and takes an.

13. ___ Netherlands is smaller than most people think. → The

Plural country names take the, unlike most singular ones.

14. Which sentence is correct? → I love music.

An uncountable noun used in a general sense takes no article.

15. It is ___ university with an excellent reputation. → a

University begins with a consonant sound, so it takes a despite the written vowel.

16. The children go to bed at eight and to ___ school at nine. → no article

Institutional phrases such as go to school, go to bed and go to work take no article.

17. ___ Alps run through eight countries. → The

Mountain ranges take the, unlike individual peaks.

18. Could you pass me ___ salt, please? → the

Both speakers can see which salt is meant, so it takes the.

19. She works as ___ translator for the government. → a

A job title after as takes a or an.

20. ___ Pacific is the largest ocean in the world. → The

Oceans and seas take the.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. I bought ___ umbrella because it was pouring. → an

Umbrella begins with a vowel sound and is mentioned for the first time.

2. There is a café on our street. ___ café opens at seven. → The

Second mention makes the noun identifiable, so it takes the.

3. Elephants are among ___ most intelligent animals alive. → the

The general plural Elephants needs no article, but a superlative always takes the.

4. He learned to play ___ guitar at fourteen. → the

Instruments take the after play.

5. My sister is ___ architect in Manchester. → an

Professions take a or an, and architect begins with a vowel sound.

6. We crossed ___ Thames by an old footbridge. → the

Rivers always take the definite article.

7. Mount Fuji can be seen from ___ centre of Tokyo on a clear day. → the

Single mountains take no article, but centre of is made specific and takes the.

8. That was ___ worst film I have ever seen. → the

Superlatives are unique and therefore definite.

9. It takes ___ hour and a half by train. → an

The silent h means hour starts with a vowel sound.

10. She was rushed to hospital in ___ ambulance. → an

Go to hospital takes no article in British English, but the vehicle is new information and takes an.

11. ___ Philippines consist of more than seven thousand islands. → The

Plural country names take the.

12. I never drink coffee after six, but I will have ___ herbal tea. → a

Coffee in general takes no article; a herbal tea means one cup and takes a.

13. He is studying at ___ university in Edinburgh. → a

University begins with a consonant sound, so it takes a.

14. Could you turn off ___ television, please? → the

Both speakers know which television is meant.

15. ___ Himalayas contain ten of our planet's highest peaks. → The

Mountain ranges take the, unlike individual mountains.

16. She has ___ excellent memory for names. → an

Excellent begins with a vowel sound and the noun is being introduced.

17. They go to church on Sunday and then on to ___ market. → the

Go to church takes no article because it names the purpose; the market is a specific place.

18. ___ Atlantic is shallower than its vast Pacific neighbour. → The

Oceans and seas always take the definite article.

19. He works as ___ nurse at the local surgery. → a

A job title after as takes an indefinite article.

20. ___ money he inherited changed nothing at all. → The

The relative clause he inherited makes the uncountable noun specific.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Introduce something new and refer to something known. → I saw an owl in the garden.

Introduce something new and refer to something known.

2. Use the definite article with a relative clause. → The book you lent me was excellent.

Use the definite article with a relative clause.

3. Make a general statement with a plural. → Cats sleep for most of the day.

Make a general statement with a plural.

4. Use both articles in one sentence. → She plays the violin in an orchestra.

Use both articles in one sentence.

5. State somebody's profession. → My father is a retired police officer.

State somebody's profession.

6. Name a river correctly. → We walked along the Seine at sunset.

Name a river correctly.

7. Name a single mountain and a country. → Kilimanjaro is in northern Tanzania.

Name a single mountain and a country.

8. Use a superlative correctly. → That was the best meal of the trip.

Use a superlative correctly.

9. Mind the silent letter at the start. → It will take an hour by car.

Mind the silent letter at the start.

10. Use the British institutional form. → He spent three weeks in hospital.

Use the British institutional form.

11. Name a country that needs an article. → The United States has fifty states.

Name a country that needs an article.

12. Use an uncountable noun generally. → I never add sugar to my tea.

Use an uncountable noun generally.

13. Mind the consonant sound at the start. → She studies at a university in Leeds.

Mind the consonant sound at the start.

14. Refer to something both people can see. → Please close the window behind you.

Refer to something both people can see.

15. Name a mountain range. → The Andes stretch along the whole continent.

Name a mountain range.

16. Introduce a quality with the right article. → He has an unusual sense of humour.

Introduce a quality with the right article.

17. Use two zero-article phrases. → They go to work by bicycle.

Use two zero-article phrases.

18. Compare two named seas. → The Mediterranean is warmer than the Atlantic.

Compare two named seas.

19. Describe an unpaid role. → I work as a volunteer at weekends.

Describe an unpaid role.

20. Make an uncountable noun specific. → The advice she gave me was invaluable.

Make an uncountable noun specific.