Basic Grammar Rules: Articles (A / AN / THE / NO ARTICLE)
Use A / AN for: things / objects / places / people etc. that are new to the listener or reader.
Example sentences: 1. There is a book on a table. 2. I met a friend yesterday.
Use THE for: specific things / objects / places / people which are already known to the listener or reader.
Example sentences: 1. There is a book on a table. The book is big. 2. I met a friend at the party last night (In this sentence, the listener / reader already knows about the party). 3. I went to the cinema last night. (Although there can be more than one cinema or hospital in a town or city, we generally use the before these words.)
Use NO ARTICLE (Zero Article): for generalisations and time phrases. Generalising: When we are generalising in English, we use the plural form to talk about a group of things and no article is needed. Example sentences: 1. Dogs are my favourite animal. 2. Cigarettes are bad for your health. Time Phrases: We do not use a / an or the with time phrases such as next, last, etc. Example sentences: 1. I went to a party last night. 2. Next month, I’m going on holiday.
The following exercise is a multiple-choice exercise. Choose the article (a / an / the / no article) to complete the gaps in the sentences.