.
Some useful grammar notes
1 We use a/an when we don’t need to
indicate which one but we use the when
it’s clear which one we mean.
2 We say the when there’s only of
something (including superlatives here).
3 We usually say the sea, the ground,
the sky, the countryside but we say go
to sea, be at sea meaning go/be on a
voyage.
4 We need the definite article when we
talk about the cinema, the theatre, the
radio but we usually say television.
5 When we mean something in general we
don’t use the article
6 We use the + musical instruments and
also the + adjectives such as rich, poor,
old, young, unemployed, meaning plural.
7 We don’t use the definite article
before the names of meals
8 With words such as prison, school,
church, university, college, hospital we
don’t use the article when we think about
what they are used for.
9 We don’t use go + article before bed,
work, home.
10 We don’t use articles before names
of continents, countries, states, cities,
towns or villages except when the
countries are groups of islands or
states.
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH
A/AN/THE or NO ARTICLE (X)
My cousin works for ___1 international airline in ___2 USA.
Did she go to ______ 3 university?
4
Yes. She has just graduated with ____ first-class honours in
psychology.
Do you work for ____5 big company ?
No, not yet. I’m still ____ 6 student but I can play ____7 violin
very well.
8
If you ever get ___ computer virus, stop sending ________9
10
emails immediately. If your monitor stops working, turn off ____
computer and wait _____ 11 minute. One of ____ 12 most famous
viruses was ____13 Love Letter, created in May, 2000. It was so
dangerous that when ____ 14
people thought they had got rid of
15 16
____ virus it sat waiting in ____ unopened file to be spread all
17 18
over ___ world. The man who created it was from ___
Philipines. _____ 19American programmer created ____20Melissa
21
virus in 1999. He was in ___ prison for only 20 months.
____ 22
first virus to travel from ___ 23
computer to ____
24
computer was Brain, in 1986.
25
I started going to ___ evening classes and soon I realised I was
26 27
going to work with ____ computers for ____ rest of my life.
28
I’ve been very interested in ____ smartphones and ____29
tablets for some time now.
Do you sometimes listen to ____ 30 radio?
Are you at ___ 31home? Would you like to go to ___ 32 theatre?
I rarely see ___ 33 play. There isn’t ___ 34theatre in my town.
Do you want ___ 35coffee? I’ve just put ___ 36kettle on.
Have you had ___ 37 lunch? You look tired! Why don’t we spend the
weekend in ____38 countryside?
I won’t go to ____39work tomorrow. I’ll stay _____ 40home and have
some rest. I’ve got to go to _____ 41 hospital to visit __ 42 friend of
mine this evening.
Why is she in ___ 43hospital?
____ 44rich are always worried about their appearance. She had
__45 cosmetic surgery. By the way, what ____ 46lovely dress you’re
wearing! Are you still working as ___47 designer?
Yes, I’ve just sold my summer collection to ___ 48 famous
department store chain in ___ 49Ireland.
Such ___ 50 lucky girl!
 .

My cousin works for AN 1 international airline in THE 2 USA.

3
Did she go to X university?
4
Yes. She has just graduated with X first-class honours in psychology.
5
Do you work for A big company ?
6
No, not yet. I’m still A student but I can play THE 7 violin very well.

If you ever get A 8 computer virus, stop sending X 9 emails immediately. If your monitor stops
working, turn off THE 10 computer and wait A 11
minute. One of THE 12 most famous viruses was
THE 13 Love Letter, created in May, 2000. It was so dangerous that when X 14
people thought
15 16
they had got rid of THE virus it sat waiting in AN unopened file to be spread all over THE 17
world. The man who created it was from THE 18 Philipines. AN 19American programmer created
THE 20Melissa virus in 1999. He was in X 21
prison for only 20 months.

THE 22 first virus to travel from X 23

computer to X 24computer was Brain, in 1986.

25
I started going to X evening classes and soon I realised I was going to work
26
with X computers for THE 27 rest of my life.

I’ve been very interested in X 28 smartphones and X29 tablets for some time now.

30
Do you sometimes listen to THE radio?

Are you at X 31home? Would you like to go to THE 32 theatre?

I rarely see A 33 play. There isn’t A 34 theatre in my town.

Do you want A 35coffee? I’ve just put THE 36kettle on.

Have you had X 37 lunch? You look tired! Why don’t we spend the weekend in THE 38
countryside?

I won’t go to X 39 work tomorrow. I’ll stay X 40home and have some rest. I’ve got to go to THE 41
hospital to visit A42 friend of mine this evening.

Why is she in X 43hospital?

THE 44rich are always worried about their appearance. She had A45 cosmetic surgery. By the
way, what A 46 lovely dress you’re wearing! Are you still working as A47 designer?
Yes, I’ve just sold my summer collection to A 48 famous department store chain in X 49 Ireland.
Such A 50lucky girl!