a-an-the-exercise

EXERCISES A, AN, THE 1
Exercise: Put “ a, an, the or nothing” in the space blank.
1. Jason’s father bought him bicycle that he had wanted for his birthday.
2. Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from France
to United States.
3. Rita is studying English and math this semester.
4. judge asked witness to tell truth.
5. Please give me cup of coffee with cream
and sugar.
6. big books on table are for my history class.
7. No one in Spanish class knew correct answer to
Mrs. Perez’s question.
8. My car is fours years old and it still runs well.
9. When you go to store, please buy bottle of
chocolate milk and dozen oranges.
10. There are only few seats left for tonight’s musical
at university.
11. John and Marcy went to school yesterday and then studied
in library before returning home.
12. Lake Erie is one of five Great Lakes in North
America.
13. On our trip to Spain, we crossed Atlantic Ocean.
14. Mount Rushmore is the site of magnificent tribute
to four great American presidents.
15. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
16. Louie played basketball and baseball at Boy’s
Club this year.
17. Rita plays violin and her sister plays guitar.
18. While we were in Alaska, we saw Eskimo village.
19. Phil can’t go to movies tonight because he has to write
essay.

20. David attended Princeton University.
21. Harry has been admitted to School of Medicine at
Midwestern university.
22. Mel’s grandmother is in hospital, so we went to visit her last
night.
23. political science class is taking trip to Soviet Union
in spring.
24. Queen Elizabeth II is monarch of Great Britain.
25. Declaration of Independence was drawn up in 1776.
26. We need to get new phone.
27. Alex, would you please answer phone?
28. I still keep wondering if I was doing right thing when I asked my
father for permission to leave school.
29. We needed house to live in when we were in London.
30. There are some things gentleman can’t do, Tom.
31. You are only person whose opinion is of any value to me
in present regrettable circumstances.
32. He told me he hated doctors.
33. She had laughing eyes and most charming mouth.
34. We talked about books. Charles had just finished last
volume of Roust.
35. I went into room quietly and sat down opposite him
without word.
36. Mr. March spent most of the night talking to Francis about buying
house. two of them were happy discussing
plans and prices.
37. I told myself that in wartime letters are lost.
38. He is man to deal with customers’ complaints.
39. She went to writing-desk and brought out sealed envelope.
40. I’ll book sleeper on Geneva-Paris train for tomorrow night.

41. second bell sounded, and pupils began to walk
into auditorium.
42. They never read anything but local paper, and local
papers report London affairs in one line.
43. When he got back to hotel he took newspaper and
considered at his leisure story on page two.
44. He didn’t like idea of staying with them for other day.
45. She wrote to her mother that things were going well and that she
was not to be anxious.
46. I had brought all my possessions in two old suitcases.
47. For first term we shred same desk at the school because
our names came next to each other in list.
48. I haven’t chance of getting this job anyhow.
49. Bill came out to meet them, wiping his hands on oily rag.
50. He took crumpled telegram out of his pocket and flattened it out on
his knee with great care and studied it.
51. Mike waited in main hall while Henry escorted visitors
to lift.
52. I don’t believe word of his story.
53. He was on his feet as soon as curtain came down at end
of second act.
54. He asked where I had picked up such word.
55. She gave same answer as before.
56. Of all papers I read this morning none interested me as much as this
one.
57. It was only birthday he had celebrated since he was child.
58. He began to hum song. It was old popular song.
59. Then I heard voice asking if I was in.
60. I ate three cakes; he pressed me to have fourth but I
didn’t.

61. young man listened to conversation with
amused smile.
62. He heard popular song played by dance band
on radio.
63. He began to climb stairs, which were dark and smelt of cats.
64. I read until breakfast time novel I had borrowed from Marion.
65. What he said reminded me of film I had seen.
66. The man offered me cigarette which I refused.
67. questions Ann asked always seemed to be questions to
which Paul knew the answers.
68. Stanley knows woman in Milford who might be persuaded to come
out once a week to clean house.
69. She was not little girl he had known, but she was not yet
woman either.
70. Her eyes were really like searchlights, picking out things that no one
else saw.
71. fact that he would have independent means made her feel relieved.
72. Her father made her presents of books she did not read.
73. And then he put forward amazing suggestion that she should turn
down the offer and settle in London.
74. I liked reading in garden, which was several steps below the level of
the yard.
75. I have impression that you don’t trust me.
76. He went up to the third floor where assistants’ office was located.
77. She lives in doll’s house at the back of the garden.
78. They were promised four days’ rest.
79. With one hand on young man’s shoulder, he went up the stairs.
80. She is out visiting neighbor’s daughter.
81. He sat on the floor stroking cat’s fur.
82. After two months’ leave I was sent to Officers’

Training Camp in Dorset.
83. In that mood I was unsuitable for attending parents’ meeting at the
school.
84. The scheme of studying in Teachers’ Training College is based
upon compulsory and optional subjects.
85. I was told by my friends not to believe girl’s tears.
86. “Is that Mr. Blair?” woman’s voice asked in the telephone.
87. Then she leaped to one side as car’s brakes screamed behind
her.
88. She was drinking glass of orange juice.
89. My friend is man of culture and wide reading.
90. Tom sat down on edge of a log and looked at glassy
surface of the lake.
EXERCISES A, AN, THE 2
Exercise: Put “a, an, the or nothing” in the space blank.
1. deposit of 5 pounds is payable by anyone who wishes to
become reader of the library.
2. The college ordinary course was planned to run for full academic
year of forty-seven weeks.
3. faint purring of a motor woke Julia the next morning.
4. “Come back in half an hour. I’ll give you bottle of medicine,” said
the doctor.
5. He was disturbed by sound of a shot.
6. Willy leaned on back of the chair.
7. I should like glass of water.
8. My grandfather was man of force and intellect.
9. From the kitchen came singing of a kettle on the stove.
10. “I’ll have cup of tea with you”, said my mother.
11. Heat up the water to temperature of 60
o

C.
12. The wallpaper was dark blue with design of conventional flowers.
13. This machinery drills holes to depth of two miles, or even more.
14. The woman moved her chair slightly toward right side of the path.
15. He sent me box of cigars.
16. There were party of twelve people arriving at the hotel.
17. head of the department was a man named Coles.
18. They had started from Amman early in the morning with
temperature of 98
o
in the shade.
19. girl from farm came once week to help
clean house.
20. To them I must have appeared most undesirable visitor.
21. He sat down at piano and played piece that he had
played in the morning.
22. “What does penniless person do in case like this?”
Marion said.
23. It’s not story I could tell anyone else.
24. car drove up to front of movie theatre.
They got out. Jack looked up at poster in front of
theatre. poster advertised picture called
“The Stolen Midnight.”
25. For past hundred years parties at their house had
been held according to same pattern.
26. They walked without speaking across lawn.
27. I know man who will lend me car.
28. His daughter is married to man who lives by his pen.
29. He merely said: “Ah, that’s question nobody can answer, lad.”
30. Her people were too poor to provide her with books

and proper clothes.
31. letter is supposed to make you see things in a
different light.
32. He gave suspicious look to box I carried.
33. breeze blew some dead leaves onto terrace.
34. Keeping in shadow of house, he crept
to back door.
35. He was writing note for his wife when outer door
swung open, and short man of thirty came in.
36. Harvest was over leaves were red and golden on
trees.
37. He took cigar from his mouth and blew away long trail
of smoke.
38. gates of sports ground stood open, and we walked
along road, under chestnut trees.
39. He went to corner of room and gazed
at bookshelf.
40. I thought that English was language he had learnt
from books.
41. There’s hardly man among us who knows mountain
as you do.
42. Williams stood in middle of room, with
expression of child from whom sweet has been
taken.
43. Finally she stopped him in front of small picture. In silence and for
a long time they stood looking at picture. It was very good picture.
44. One winter afternoon she had been buying something in little
antique shop in Curson Street. It was shop she liked.
And man who kept shop was fond of serving her.
45. It is portrait of friend I told you about the other day.

46. She wishes to speak to him about important message she had
received from London.
47. All presents that he had given her were in their usual places.
48. They turned off road into drive that would
between tall trees.
49. He looked at figure that was standing on upper step.
50. I don’t know any of people living in house next door.
51. We sat side by side smoking and thinking.
52. It was sort of occasion when one wants to help but
doesn’t know how.
53. He didn’t want to walk home with any of other fellows.
54. Marion, like most of girls in group, came
from lower middle class family.
55. They cleaned house from top to
bottom.
56. What kind of place are your friends living in?
57. She would know names of nearly all of people who
lived there.
58. While they went from room to room, Blair
explained purpose of his visit.
59. Janine was Finn, with extraordinary blue eyes.
60. She was married to man called Bronson. He was
planter. He was manager of estate
up river.
61. Outside in street, he called for taxi at
top of his voice, and set off in chase of it like young man.
62. You can’t treat Charles like child. He is grown man.
63. pleasantest man in office was big ex-
paratrooper named John Duncan. He was six feet tall, had face
of farmer, and seemed to like everybody and everything.

64. He felt gentle touch of Betty’s hand on his shoulder.
65. Her father had started life as errand boy, then
became draper’s assistant and was now owner
of prosperous little business.
66. Opposite window stood full-length painting of Charles
as small boy.
67.
68. people use plants in many different ways. Plants
supply us with oxygen. They are a source of lifesaving medicines. We
use plant products to build houses and to make paper
and textiles.
69. When you look at sandy shore, it might seem practically empty
of animals. This appearance is deceptive, however.
Beneath surface, the sand is full of life. It is teeming
with crabs, shrimp, worms, snails, and
other kinds of marine animals.
70. Our children enjoyed going to the beach yesterday. When they dug in
sand, they found various kinds of animals. Susie
found crab, and so did Johnny. crab Johnny found pinched
him, which made him cry. But he had good time at beach
anyway.
71. The biggest bird in the world is the ostrich. It eats just about anything it can
reach, including stones, glass, and keys. It can kill
person with one kick.
72. Do you ever gaze into space and wonder if other life forms
exist in universe?
73. most mirrors are made from glass to which thin
layer of silver or aluminum has been applied.
74. In recent newspaper article, I read about Australian swimmer
who was saved from shark by group of dolphins.

When shark attacked swimmer, dolphins chased it away.
They saved swimmer’s life.
75. I heard on the radio that there is evidence that dolphins
suffer in cavity. Dolphins that are free in nature live around 40 years.
Captive dolphins live average of 12 years. It is believed that some
captive dolphins commit suicide.
76. phonograph records have become old-fashioned. They have been
supplanted by compact discs, which are commonly referred to as CDs.
77. Look. There’s fly walking on ceiling. It’s upside down. Do
you suppose fly was flying right side up and flipped over at the last
second, or was it flying upside down when it landed on ceiling?
78. Last week I went to exhibition of paintings at
Tate Gallery in London. I’m not really great art lover but I’d
read good reviews of exhibition and I was keen to see it.
When I arrived, there were already people waiting outside
for doors to open. I joined queue and in end
doors opened and we went inside to see show.
Now, I must be honest and admit that many of paintings
disappointed me. Although I spent time looking carefully
at each one, I had difficulty in understanding
what artist was getting at. Finally, as I was looking rather stupidly at
one of paintings and trying to decide if it was right way up
or not, old gentleman came up behind me and started to
explain whole thing to me. He kindly answered all of my questions
and we talked for over hour. Then he said he had
appointment and had to go and now I found that all paintings
seemed really beautiful.
It was only as I was leaving gallery that I found out
who old man was – his self-portrait was on posters
advertising exhibition!