Grammar

A2+
articles

Recommended for:
Gold Experience
Focus
High Note

2019 1
 We use articles before nouns, e.g. people,
places, objects or ideas. They tell us
something about the noun.
Let’s look at:
1. When to use a or an.
2. When to use the.
3. When to use a noun without an article.

When do we use
articles?

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 Function: articles 5
I went to see a band
yesterday. It’s the band I told
The sun is shining! Let’s go you about. They’re really
1 for a walk. 4
good!
7
2 Anne Marie is a journalist.
There’s no food in the fridge. She works for a newspaper.
John plays the piano We need to go to the
really well. supermarket. 6 8
Canada is a beautiful
country. It has lots of lakes
My French teacher also
with most and mountains.
speaks Italian and German.
countries 9
with jobs 3
ten
when there is only
one of something
the first time we talk
when it is clear about something Look at these sentences. How
which one we are many articles are there?
talking about the second time we
talk about something
with musical instruments Now look at the articles
with languages (and nouns without
with plural, countable nouns to
articles) that are
talk about something in general
highlighted. Match them
with the uses.
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 Form and function: articles
John plays the piano
really well.
Canada is a beautiful country.
It has lots of lakes and
mountains.
no article an
with singular nouns
that start with a
consonant (b, c, d, etc.)
before u when we
pronounce it /ju:/
(e.g. a uniform)
with jobs
the first time we talk about something
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience | Focus | High Note
I went to see a band
yesterday. It’s the band I
told you about. They’re
There’s no food in the fridge. We really good!
need to go to the supermarket.
Anne Marie is a journalist. Complete the
table with the
My French teacher also She works for a newspaper.
correct
speaks Italian and German. articles.
The sun is shining! Let’s go
for a walk.
the a Now listen to
how your
teacher
with singular nouns with plural countable pronounces
when there is only one these words.
that start with a, e, i, o, nouns when talking in
of something
u general
Be careful!
when it is clear which with uncountable Some countries
before h when it is
person/thing we are nouns when talking in do have articles
silent (e.g. an hour)
talking about general (e.g. the USA,
the UK).
with musical
with languages
instruments
Let’s
the second time we
with most countries practice!
talk about something
 Practice activities
Complete the gaps using a/an, the or no article.
a the a
1. When I was younger I wanted to be…………footballer, but now I’m learning…………guitar. I want to be in…………band.
[no article] [no article]

2. A: Do you like…………rock music? B: No, I prefer…………hip hop.

[no article]
the the
3. Alex went on a school trip to…………Paris last year. He saw…………Eiffel Tower and visited…………Pompidou Centre.
[no article]
the
4. A: How can you speak…………English so well? B: I have a good friend from…………USA and we speak it all the time.

an a
5. Do you want to have…………apple or …………banana with your lunch?

an
6. Amelia is…………honest the
person. We can trust her to look after…………house while we’re on holiday.

a
7. Sarah is reading…………book. the
It’s…………book she bought yesterday.

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 Explore grammar: quantity words
There aren’t many days
left until the holidays.
Look at the
I need some money for words in bold in
plural the bus. these
uncountable
countable sentences. Put
Would you like a few the sentences in
positive the correct
sweets?
circle (the first
one is done for
We don’t have any milk. you).

negative Now look at the

There are some fantastic
underlined
cafes in my town.
plural words. Which
uncountable one is used for
countable
I haven’t got any pets. small quantities?

The newspaper report

didn’t give a lot of a few
information.

All the food was delicious.

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 Explore grammar: We use how much
and how many in
quantity words questions.

Now put the

quantity words in
in positive in negatives in negatives in negatives with plural the correct place in
sentences and questions (and questions) (and questions) countable the table (the first
one is done for
with with plural nouns and
to talk about quantity when we you).
uncountable countable uncountable
don’t know the number or
nouns nouns nouns
amount We don’t use the
after all when
all some talking in general,
with with plural in positive e.g.
any (how) much
uncountable countable sentences to All birds lay eggs.
nouns to talk nouns to talk talk about a a little a lot of
about a small about a small large quantity
quantity quantity (how many) a few

We usually use a lot of (not much/many) in positive

sentences with plural countable nouns and uncountable
nouns, e.g. We’ve got a lot of fruit/biscuits.
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