Articles Exercises For Class 6: There are two types of articles:- definite article (the) and indefinite articles (a, an). We usually use indefinite articles first to mention a person or a thing. By doing so, we don’t have to be clear about which particular person or thing we are referring to. When we refer to the same person or thing again, we use the definite article the to indicate the person or thing already mentioned. There are times when we don’t have to use any one of the articles. Such non-use of the article is called zero articles.

We use “the’:

• only before person, place or thing:-the Pope, the President of India, the North Pole, the earth, the sky.
• before names of famous buildings:-the Red Fort, the Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal
• before a singular noun that refers to a whole class or group of people or things the middle class, the homeless, the Hindus, the Sikhs
• before special names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, groups of islands the Nile, the Dead Sea, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the Himalayas.
• before names of holy books The Ramayana, The Gita
• before names of newspapers and magazines The Tribune, The India Today
• before superlative degree of adjectives the best, the greatest
• before heavenly bodies the moon, the sun, the earth, the sky
• before abbreviations the UK, the ICICI
• before name of inventions Who invented the aeroplane?

Omission of ‘The’:
‘The’ is not used

• before proper nouns Sunday, Delhi, Volkswagan, Rita Tiwari
• before abstract nouns Man is Mortal.
• before names of meals I am very fond of eating Rice and Dal.
• before names of parts of body and clothing Show me your fingers.
• before name of languages English, Hindi, Chinese
• before name of games I love to play football.

We use ‘a’:

• when we mention something for the first time I saw a dog.
• before a word which begins with a consonant There is a woman waiting for you.
• before a word with a long sound of u a university, a uniform, a useful book, a European, a unique.
• before the word one because one sounds as if it begins with a W (wun) a one way street, a one-eyed monster, a one-year course, a one-week holiday, etc.

The indefinite article a also means one. We can use ‘a’ or ‘one’ as follow:

• He keeps a/one dozen snakes as pets.
• I have told you a/one hundred times to leave me alone!

We use an

• before a noun which begins with a vowel sound They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
• before a singular noun (person or thing) to mean only one in quantity She’s an only child.
• before a noun that is representative of a group, species, etc An ostrich has only two toes on each foot.
• before a noun that begins with a silent h an hour, an honest man, an heir, an honour, an honourable man, etc.
• before abbreviations, some of which begin with a consonant an MP, an SP, an X-ray.

Omission of ‘A’ and ‘An’
A and An are not used with

• before plural nouns dogs, chairs, trousers, pants
• before abstract nouns gold, advice, patience, loyalty
• before names of meals Brunch shall be served at 12.00 O’clock.
• before proper names Mohit, Diwali, Cricket
• In certain idiomatic expressions and special phrases by bus, on foot, in bed, at dinner, go home, etc.

Exercise 1

Some of these sentences are right, but some of them need a/an. Put in a/an where necessary. Write ok if the sentence is already correct.

1. I have not got watch.
2. Do you like cheese?
3. Reena never wears hat.
4. Are you looking for job?
5. Madhu does not eat meat.
6. She eats apple every day.
7. I am going to party tonight.
8. Music is wonderful thing.
9. Jamaica is island.
10. I don’t need key.
11. Everybody needs food.
12. I have good idea.
13. Can you drive car?
14. Do you want cup of coffee?
15. I don’t like coffee without milk.
16. Don’t go out without umbrella.

Answer:

1.    ……..  a watch.    2. OK                                    3. … a hat.          4. … a job?
5. OK                           6. … an apple                     7. … a party.         8. … a wonderful thing.
9. … an island.          10. … a key.                          11. … OK             12. … a good idea.
13. … a car.               14. … a cup of coffee?         15.OK                   16. … an umbrella.

Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks with a/an or the:

1. We enjoyed our holiday ………… hotel was very nice.
2. Can I ask ………… question?
3. You look very tired. You need ………… holiday.
4. Where is Om? ‘He is in ………… bathroom.’
5. Rita is ………… interesting person. You must meet her.
6. A: Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to ………… city centre?
   B: Yes, go straight on and then take ………… next turning left.
7. A: Shall we go out for ………… meal this evening?
   B: Yes, that is ………… good idea.
8. It is ………… nice morning. Let us go for ………… walk.
9. Sushma is ………… student. When she finishes her studies, she wants to be ………… journalist.
10. Sushma lives with two friends in ………… flat near ………… college where she is studying ………… flat is small but she likes it.
11. Rakesh and Reena have got two children, ………… boy and ………… girl ………… boy is ten years old and ………… girl is three.
12. Mohan works in ………… factory. Meeta has not got ………… job at the moment.
13. man and ………… woman were sitting opposite me ………… man was American but I think ………… woman was British.

Answer:

1. The                    2. a           3. a                    4. the          5. an
6. The, the             7. a, a       8. a, a                 9. a, a       10. a, the, The
11. a. a. The, the  12. a, a.
13. a, a, The, the

Exercise 3

Put in a/an or the wherever necessary.

1. Don’t forget to turn off light when you go out.
2. Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to send me postcard.
3. What is name of this village?
4. Canada is very big country.
5. Which is largest city in Canada?
6. I like this room but I don’t like colour of carpet.
7. Are you OK?’ No, I have got headache’.
8. We live in old house near station.
9. What is name of director of film we saw last night?

Answer:

1. Don’t forget to turn off the light when you go out.
2. Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to send me a postcard.
3. What is the name of this village?
4. Canada is a very big country.
5. Which is the largest city in Canada?
6. I like this room but I don’t like the colour of the carpet.
7. ‘Are you OK? ‘No, I have got a headache’.
8. We live in an old house near the station.
9. What is the name of the director of the film we saw last night?

Exercise 4

Put in a, an or the wherever necessary. Don’t use any article where it is not necessary.

1. My father is ____  M.A. in    mathematics.
2. ____  Mumbai is    London of India.
3. We are going to ____  cinema.
4. Yesterday I met ____  European playing with ____  boy.
5. I have got ____  headache.
6. ____ Ganga is ____  holy river.
7. ____ Quran is read by ____ Muslims.
8. Rohit is ____  unique boy.
9. He is ____  most intelligent boy in the class.
10. I know how to play ____  sitar.
11. I live in ____  Delhi.

Answer:

1. an, X        2. X, the      3. the     4. a, a      5. a
6. The, a      7. The, the   8. a        9. the     10. the
11. X