Part IV The definite and the indefinite article

Exercise 4.1

Put in a/an or the where necessary.

1. Can I have glass of water, please? a glass

2. This is nice house. – You’re right. House is wonderful.

3. Did you enjoy your holiday? – Greatly! Didn’t you get postcard I sent you?

4. Malta is very small country.

5. What is name of owner of shop we went to yesterday?

6. My brother works in advertising. It’s hard work, but salary is good.

7. I had good opportunity to meet people from different countries.

8. We had problem with car. It didn’t start.

9. I couldn’t answer phone because I was in bathroom.

10. She works for company that makes mobile phones.

11. Did you turn off light when you left house?

12. Bob has new girlfriend. She works as guide in museum.

13. People have hobbies because they need activity which they enjoy.

14. Josh was wearing strange clothes. Hat was especially funny.

Exercise 4.2

Fill in the gaps with a/an or the if necessary.

1. We discussed the next problem after – lunch.

2. … most people have coffee or tea for … breakfast.

3. … weather was lovely, and we went sightseeing in … city centre.

4. In … cold weather I like sitting in … comfortable armchair with … magazine.

5. If you want to get … job in our company, you need to speak to … director.

6. He went to … kitchen, opened … fridge and took out … packet of juice.

7. When I saw Dick, he was sitting on … floor and playing … guitar.

8. We agreed to meet in … town, but there was such … storm that I couldn’t go.

9. I couldn’t answer … third and … fourth question, but I got … good mark anyway.

10. She looked at … moon and thought about … love and … happiness.

11. We’re having … wonderful holiday! – Yes, let’s send … postcard to our parents.

12. Take these pills two times … day and try to do sports three times … week.

13. Did you talk to … Professor Smith about your project? – Yes, … last week.

Exercise 4.3

Complete the sentences with a/an or the if necessary.

1. Do you often watch … television? – No, I prefer listening to … radio.

2. Did you stay there for … long time? – No, we stayed only for … hour and … half.

3. Can we talk now? – To tell … truth, I’m in … hurry.

4. What did you do … day before yesterday? – I had … headache and stayed at … home all … day long.

5. Gary has … cold and isn’t going to … work at … moment.

6. I don’t like travelling by … sea, I prefer travelling by … air.

7. On … one hand I like your project, on … other hand it has many weak sides.

8. We had … meal in a restaurant, and when we were leaving, I took somebody’s umbrella by … mistake.

9. Jim is in … trouble because he told … lie to his boss.

10. On … whole, I like the idea but we still need to discuss it in … detail.

11. I went three kilometres on … foot. – Sit down and have … rest.

12. Could you do me … favour and meet my parents at … airport … day after tomorrow?

13. You never do … washing-up and your room is always in … mess!

14. When they told me … truth, I was at … loss and couldn’t say … word.

Exercise 4.4

Write a/an or the if necessary.

1. Excuse me, where’s … nearest supermarket? – It’s at … end of that street, on … right. There’s … tram stop in front of it.

2. I met my best friend, Julia, when I was seven. We went to … same school when we were … kids. Julia had … older sister, Lily. I thought she was … most beautiful girl in … whole world.

3. Zoe lives in … large town in … middle of … Spain, but she wants to live in … country. She’d like to have … dog, and take it on … long walks.

4. Catherine usually has … meals in … kitchen. But if she has … guest, she sets the table in … living room.

5. Val wanted to come to … station on time, so she took … taxi from … city centre.

6. I have … idea. What about going to … new Italian restaurant in … Church Street?

7. In my childhood I wanted to be … politician. I thought that … politicians know everything about … world.

8. … Prime Minister is going to make … speech about … environment.

9. … Most students knew and respected … Doctor Simpson.

Exercise 4.5

Put in a/an or the where necessary.

1. Annie was lying on beach and eating apple. on the beach, an apple

2. Best time for holiday in Egypt is end of April.

3. My grandfather lived in country all his life, he said it was loveliest place in world.

4. Do you know that sun is star, and Earth is planet?

5. I was in good mood, I swam in sea and sunbathed.

6. Did you stay at expensive hotel? – We paid fifty pounds night.

7. You’re carrying such fresh vegetables. How much did you pay for potatoes? – They cost thirty pence kilo in local shop.

8. Our plane landed at Heathrow. It’s such busy airport, I didn’t believe my eyes!

9. I always take taxi if I need to go to city centre in rush hour.

10. I know that office of his company is in large building in central London.

11. I think travelling to Seychelles is too expensive. It’s only for rich and famous people.

12. My husband Colin is great fun and always helps to take care of children.

Exercise 4.6

Complete the story with the correct articles. Sometimes you need no article at all.

Yesterday evening I returned quite late. I went to (1) … bedroom and saw that my husband was already in (2) … bed and (3) … latest edition of his favourite magazine was on (4) … bed next to him. I made (5) … cup of tea and put it on (6) … table near (7) … sofa. I do it two times (8) … week, on (9) … Wednesday and (10) … Friday evenings. On (11) … other days of (12) … week I come from (13) … work earlier and I always wait for (14) … kids near (15) … school. They leave (16) … school at about four, and we walk along (17) … Oxford Street talking about (18) … day.

There is (19) … small cafй on (20) … left. There we always have (21) … problem choosing (22) … most delicious sort of ice-cream. Once I even complained to (23) … cafй manager because they didn’t have (24) … strawberry ice-cream. You see, my Granny lived in (25) … country, close to (26) … nature, and she made such (27) … delicious fruit desserts for me! We all like (28) … good food, and (29) … only thing that I’m against is (30) … unnatural ingredients in what we eat.

Like (31) … most people, we enjoy going to (32) … concert or to (33) … cinema at (34) … weekend. We’re going to (35) … Rex Cinema (36) … next weekend and then we’re going for (37) … dinner at (38) … Bombay Restaurant. Well, I can say (39) … life is not a bad thing!

Exercise 4.7

Read the dialogue and write a/an or the where necessary. If no article is necessary, leave an empty space.

• Do you happen to know (1) … Mitchells? They are (2) … very interesting family.

• I think yes. Is Mr Mitchell (3) … travel-writer?

• He is. He has written (4) … books about (5) … Japan and (6) … Japanese people. (7) … Last year he published (8) … article in (9) … Times.

• What does his wife do?

• She’s (10) … journalist and interviews (11) … famous people. She has talked to (12) … Queen of England and (13) … President Clinton. Now she is writing (14) … articles about (15) … English people and their traditions.

• Do they have (16) … children?

• Yes, their son Matt works in (17) … USA. He earns (18) … good money and visits (19) … home four times (20) … year.

• How do you know all that?

• Their younger son, Josh, plays (21) … drums in (22) … rock band. And my daughter, Violet, sings in (23) … same band. Josh and Violet are getting married (24) … next month.

• Good news! Are you going to see (25) … whole family at (26) … wedding?

• I hope so. They are going to have it in (27) … small village on (28) … River Tyne. (29) … Village has (30) … church which is one of (31) … oldest in (32) … region.

• Do you know what to give as (33) … present?

• (34) … Couple are travelling to (35) … south of Greece after (36) … wedding. So I’m going to give them (37) … camera. I’d love to see (38) … photos from their holiday. I’m not bad at taking (39) … photos myself and I love views of (40) … sea!