Articles Exercises

One topic that often puzzles students in English grammar is the correct use of articles. Articles are small words, but they play a big role in making our sentences clear and meaningful. The articles "a, an, and, the" are used depending on whether the noun is common, proper, singular, or plural. Learning how to use articles correctly can make your writing more accurate and your communication more confident. Here, we will explore the rules of articles with easy explanations and examples, followed by simple article exercises to help you practice and test your understanding.

Table of Contents

• What are Articles?
• Articles Exercises with Answers
• Frequently Asked Questions on Articles Exercises

 

What are Articles?

Articles are words used before nouns to show whether the noun refers to something specific or something nonspecific. The three main articles in English are "a," "an," and "the." Mastering articles is essential for clear communication and accurate sentence construction in English.

There are two major types: Definite Article ("the") and Indefinite Articles ("a" and "an"). Indefinite articles are used for non-specific things, while "the" refers to a particular item or group already mentioned or easily identified. For greater clarity, review the definite article and indefinite articles explanations.

1. Use "a" before words that start with a consonant sound. Example: a doctor, a European country.

2. Use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound. Example: an engineer, an honest person.

3. Use "the" for specific or known nouns. Example: The book you gave me was interesting.

 

Articles Exercises with Answers

Before you start with the exercises, here is something you should remember. The indefinite articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used before nouns that are singular and common, whereas the definite article ‘the’ is used before nouns that are plural or proper. ‘The’ is also used when you want to specify a particular noun. Another rule regarding indefinite articles is that ‘an’ is used before words starting with vowel sounds, and ‘a’ is used for every other singular noun. Now, try working out the following exercises.

 

Exercise 01: Fill in the Blanks with the appropriate indefinite Article ‘a’ or ‘an’

1. ..........old man wanted to see you in the morning.

2. John built ...yard for his cattle.

3. She ate only ...... orange for her breakfast.

4. My grandmother told me...... story.

5. Mr. Nautiyal bought ....... new car.

6. My son is.......M.A from Agra University.

7. Rohan is ........ intelligent son of........poor farmer.

8. Neha lodged ........ F.I.R. against the cheat.

9. Pass me ........ slice of bread.

10. Rita has gone on ........ month’s vacation.

11. Narayanpur is ........ small village.

12. Visitors can meet the patient only twice........day.

13. There was .......elephant in the field.

14. Ravi made ......... error of judgment.

15. He was late by ..... hour for the meeting.

16. Suresh has ....... interest in acting.

17. Sita’s brother is ........engineer in .........reputed company.

18. There is .........eucalyptus tree near my house.

19. She is .... honorary secretary of the club.

20. We met ...... European girl in Rishikesh.

21. .......village chief has started .........utensil shop.

22. Joya’s father is .........principal of our college.

23. ..........Ganges flows from .......Himalayas.

24. Please give me.......copy of The Times of India.

25. ..........Dhawans are particularly interested in music.

26. .........Market will remain closed for two days.

27. She wrote ...... paper for ...... seminar.

28. Rohan bought ....... cup of coffee.

29. ........earth moves round ....... sun.

30. He met with .......accident yesterday.

31. Meeta saw.......cat in .......garden.

32. We saw .....tiger in .....zoo.

33. Sunil’s father is ......advocate in ......highcourt.

34. Suresh is........tallest boy in ......class.

35. She gave me ....call in the evening.

36. Dr.Hamid is .......urdu teacher.

37. I met .....boy. .....boy was very polite.

38. Reading is ......good habit.

39. He is ...... captain in .......army.

40. Mr. Gokhale is .......honorary president of our society.

Answers:

1. An

2. a

3. an

4. a

5. a

6. an

7. an, a

8. an

9. a

10. a

11. a

12. a

13. an

14. an

15. an

16. an

17. an, a

18. a

19. an

20. a

21. The, a

22. the

23. The, the

24. a

25. The

26. The

27. a, a

28. a

29. The, the

30. an

31. a, the

32. a, the

33. an, the

34. the, the

35. a

36. an

37. a, The

38. a

39. a, the

40. an

 

Exercise 02: Choose one of these to complete each sentence: a, an, the, or (no word).

1. ___ woman and ___ man are sitting before me.

2. During our holiday, we stay at ___ hotel.

3. For our dinner, we went to ___ restaurant.

4. As it was raining, I took ___ umbrella.

5. On the way, I saw ___ elephant.

6. ____ moon goes around ___ earth.

7. ___ Qutab Minar is very tall.

8. I waited for you for more than ___ hour.

9. ___ walls of my room are light blue but ___ ceiling is white.

10. She is ___ MSC teacher in chemistry.

Answers:

1. A woman and a man are sitting before me.

2. During our holiday, we stay at a hotel.

3. For our dinner, we went to a restaurant.

4. As it was raining, I took an umbrella.

5. On the way, I saw an elephant.

6. The moon goes around the Earth.

7. The Qutub Minar is very tall.

8. I waited for you for more than an hour.

9. The walls of my room are light blue, but the ceiling is white.

10. She is an MSc teacher in chemistry.

 

Exercise 03: Complete each sentence by choosing: a, an, the, or Ø (no word).

1. When can you usually see … moon, in the morning, or at night?

a) a 

b) an 

c) the

 

2. I saw … very bright star in the sky a few nights ago. park.

a) the 

b) Ø 

c) a

 

3. I forgot to bring my pen. Do you have … pen I could borrow? 

a) the 

b) a 

c) an

 

4. 4. I have a new car. … car is red. 

a) A 

b) The 

c) Ø

 

5. What is … capital city of Australia? Is it Sydney or Canberra? 

a) the

b) a 

c) an

 

6. For breakfast, I usually have … egg, toast, and some coffee. 

a) a 

b) an

c) the

 

7. I have … two younger brothers and an older sister. 

a) Ø

b) an 

c) a

 

8. My mother saw a nice dress in a store. She decided to buy … dress. 

a) an 

b) a 

c) the

 

9. What is … first month of the year? Is it January or February?

a) Ø

b)  a

c) the

 

10. I saw … old man walking in the park.

a) a

b) Ø

c) an

 

11. My brother always exercises for …… hour in the morning.

a) the

b) an

c) a

 

12. I drank … cup of coffee, but the coffee was cold.

a) a

b) an

c) Ø

 

13. Help! Somebody please call …..policeman!

a) the

b) a

c) an

 

14. Last summer, my friends and I travelled to … Spain.

a) Ø

b) a

c) an

 

15. My little brother drew a picture of a chicken, a cow, and … horse.

a) an

b) a

c) the

 

16. ..… Amazon rainforest is located in the store. 

a) An

b) Ø

c) The

 

Answers:

1. the

2. a

3. a

4. The

5. the

6. an

7. Ø

8. the

9. the

10. an

11. an

12. a

13. a

14. Ø

15. a

16. The

 

Exercise 04: If it’s possible, put ‘no article’ (Ø). If not, put ‘the’.

1. Do you remember ______ July when we met?

2. Shall we have coffee on ______ Monday?

3. Julie is studying ______ Japanese.

4. Could you come on ______ 6th of August?

5. The information about proper nouns is in ______ Section 9.

6. Do you play ______ rugby at school?

7. I love ______ summer!

8. She can speak ______ Spanish really well.

9. We often go on holiday in ______ May.

10. How about meeting on ______ Tuesday afternoon?

11. Please turn to ______ question D on your exam paper.

12. He was crowned ______ king in Westminster Abbey.

13. ______ fact is, I don’t like tea very much, even though I’m British.

14. Her office is on ______ second floor.

15. I love ______ skiing.

16. _____ winter that I was in Japan was one of the best winters of my life.

17. Do you celebrate ______ Easter?

18. The train leaves from ______ platform 6.

19. The______ English that they speak in Glasgow is quite different from how people speak in

London.

20. He was elected ______ Prime Minister.

Answers:

1. No article

2. No article

3. No article

4. The 

5. No article

6. No article

7. No article

8. No article

9. No article

10. No article

11. No article

12. No article

13. The

14. The

15. No article

16. The

17. No article

18. No article

19. The

20. No article

 

Exercise 05: Fill the gap with ‘no article’ if possible. Otherwise, use ‘a/an’.

1. She was elected ______ president.

2. Catherine is ______ pilot.

3. I’m ______ bank clerk.

4. Adam is ______ CEO of our company.

5. Ellie was appointed ______ professor of philosophy at Oxford.

6. Mary was crowned ______ queen in 1543.

7. John works as ______ teacher.

8. Lucy’s ______ lawyer.

9. He got a new job working as ______ shop assistant.

10. He became ______ treasurer in 2010

Answers:

1. no article

2. a

3. a

4. the

5. a

6. no article

7. a

8. a

9. a

10. no article

 

Frequently Asked Questions on Articles Exercises

 

Q1: What is an article and example?

Answers: In grammar, an article is a small word that precedes a noun to specify whether the noun is general or specific. The three articles in English are "a," "an," and "the". "A" and "an" are indefinite articles, used for general or unknown nouns, while "the" is the definite article, used for specific or previously identified nouns.

 

Q2: What are the 4 articles in English?

Answers: The three English articles are "a," "an," and "the". "A" and "an" are indefinite articles used to refer to general or non-specific nouns, while "the" is the definite article, used to refer to specific nouns.

 

Q3: What are the three types of articles?

Answers: In English, there are three articles: a, an, and the. Articles are used before nouns or noun equivalents and are a type of adjective. The definite article (the) is used before a noun to indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader.