No article or definite article

Words using no article

He doesn't like going to school.

I think she's at home now.

I usually get to work at 9.30.

Do you go to church on Sundays?

She was very tired so she went to bed early.

Did you have the baby in hospital?

Their father's in prison.

There is usually no a or the before: school, college, university, home, work, church, bed,
hospital, prison, town.

Note: We only say a or the before these words when the building is important and not its use:

It was a beautiful church / The school is very old now / This is not a very comfortable bed / Is
there a prison near here? / The hospital is closing down.

Words using THE

We don't very often go to the cinema / Did you go to the disco on Saturday? / I go to the
supermarket every Friday.

We usually say the before the places we visit in a town:

the cinema, theatre, disco, opera, post office, bank; names of shops - baker's,

grocer's, supermarket, chemist, butcher's; dentist('s), doctor('s), hairdresser('s),

toilet

And we say the shopping: I do the shopping on Mondays.

But we can sometimes use a before these words:

Did you go to the disco on Saturday? but: There's a new disco in town.

I'm going to the bank, but: Does she work in a bank?

Other words with A, AN, THE or NO ARTICLE
a, an when talking about cost, speed or how often we do something

The apples are 1 a kilo.

I never drive more than 80 kilometres an hour.

She smokes about twenty cigarettes a day.

THE with musical instruments when we talk about playing them or listening to them.

Can you play the guitar?

I love listening to the piano.

* But note: I'd like to buy a piano.

THE with listen to the radio. NO ARTICLE with watch television.

I usually listen to the radio in the mornings.

They watch television most evenings.

*But note: Have you got a new television? This is an expensive radio.

NO article before names of academic subjects, languages, sports, meals.

No article before names of academic subjects, languages, sports, meals. isn't too difficult to
learn.

History is my favourite subject.

She plays tennis very well.

I usually have toast for breakfast/dinner/lunch.

The indefinite articles a & an

A (or AN) is used with countable nouns.

A is not used before a plural noun (NOT I've got a sons).

A is not used before uncountable nouns (NOT I want a petrol, please).

PRACTICE
*Write a, an, or nothing to complete these sentences.

1 I'd like _________ sandwich, please.

2 He asked me for ________ money.

3 They wanted __________ information about the trains.

4 I'd like __________ apple and _________ orange, please.

5 They've got _________ very big house.

6 Do you like _________ fast cars?

7 We watched _________ films all afternoon.

8 Have you got __________ umbrella?

9 I asked for ________ bread and ________ cheese.

10 Are you drinking ________ milk?

11 I had _________ glass of water.

12 He gave me ________ kiss.

13 I like _________ coffee and ________ tea.

*Write a, the, or no article to complete these sentences.

1 She's ________ journalist.

2 ______ Moon moves slowly round _______ Earth.

3 _______ Sun is shining.

4 I'd like ________ cup of coffee, please.

5 Have you got _______ double room?

6 He gave me ______ lighter and some cigarettes but ________ lighter didn't work.

7 There was _______ doctor and ________ nurse in the room. _______ nurse was sleeping.

8 She took _______ sandwich and ________ piece of cake, but didn't eat _________ cake.

9 Yes, I work at this school. I'm ________ teacher.

10 _________ man and two women are sitting in the car. I think ________ man is Italian.

11 Did you see _________ Pope when he came to England?

12 He offered me _______ cigarette, but I refused.

13 Did you send me ________ postcard when you were in ________ Greece?

14 They had six cats and _________ dog. I really liked ________ dog.
15 Have you got _________ match, please?

16 She sent me _________ letter. _________ letter didn't arrive.

17 I had _______ cup of tea and _______ ice cream.________ tea was terrible.

Complete these sentences with A, AN, THE or NO ARTICLE.

1 She plays _________ piano beautifully.

2 We usually meet once ________ week.

3 I enjoy studying languages but I find _________ Latin quite difficult.

4 I always listen to _________ radio when I get up.

5 Can your daughter play _________ violin?

6 I can cycle 15 miles ________ hour.

7 Do you enjoy learning ________ Spanish?

8 I take the children swimming twice ________ week.

9 I think you watch __________ television too often.

10 Did you study ________ Physics at ________ school?

11 I really enjoy playing ________ football at the weekends.

12 I love listening to _________ saxophone.

13 The potatoes are 80 pence ________ bag.

14 Can you speak ________ Russian?

SOME, ANY
SOME is used in positive sentences

a) with plural countable nouns:

Some people arrived.

I'd like a loaf and some eggs, please.

b) with uncountable nouns:

I bought some milk.

Id like some water, please.

c) in offers:

Would you like some coffee?

Would you like some tea?

ANY is used like some, but in negative sentences and questions

a) with plural countable nouns:

Did you meet, any friends in town?

I didn't buy any eggs.

b) with uncountable nouns:

Did you buy any milk?

I didn't have any water.

NO is also used to mean not any, but with a positive verb form:

There were no eggs in the market.

I had no water.

PRACTICE
*Put C for countable nouns and U for uncountable nouns

news furniture
bus air
wine information
house butter
flour sugar
hand tree
 bicycle garden
chair book
cheese tooth
money boy
computer water
cup apple
bread car
pen grass
table person
milk road

Complete the sentences with a, an, some or any.

1 Would you like _______ cup of tea?

2 There's _______ butter in the fridge.

3 Can I make ________ telephone call?

4 There aren't ________ books in the house.

5 There are _________ children at the door.

6 She wants _________ glass of water.

7 They don't have ________ friends in the village.

8 I bought ________ lemonade yesterday.

9 Have you got _______ watch?

10 She likes ________ new perfume.

11 We're getting _______ new car soon.

12 There isn't _________ shampoo in the bathroom.

13 I'd like ________ apple, please.

14 The house hasn't got ________ furniture.

15 Would you like _______ orange juice?

16 I've got _______ bananas and ________ apple.

17 Did you bring ________ bread?

18 I'd like _______ water, please.

19 Sorry, I haven't got _______ matches.

20 I asked the waiter for ________ tea.