(1)DICTATION ON ARTICLES
Instructions: This exercise is designed to develop your ability to HEAR the articles.
This is a step in learning to use the articles correctly in speaking and writing. Listen as
your instructor reads this passage aloud. If you hear an article (a, an, the), write it in
the blank. If you do not hear an article, write nothing in the blank.
______Library of Congress, ______national library of ______United States,
is situated near ______Capitol in ______Washington, DC. The primary purpose of
______Library is to serve ______members of ______legislative branch of
______government, but it is also open to ______public as ______reference
library. ______scholars come from all parts of ______country to make use of its
facilities.
______Library contains ______copy of every book copyrighted in ______
United States. In ______Library there are also collections of ______musical
instruments, recordings, maps, photographs, and documents. Perhaps ______
document of ______most interest and significance to Americans who tour ______
Library is ______final draft of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
In 1939 ______five-story annex was added to ______main building, constructed
in 1837, in order to accommodate ______vast amount of material that had been collected
throughout ______years.
(2)THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
Instructions: Insert theif necessary. If the definite article is not needed, write nothing in the blank.
1. ______youngest boy has just started going to ______school; ______oldest boy
is at ______college.
2. She lives on ______top floor of an old house. When ______wind blows, all ______
windows rattle.
3. _____ darkness doesn’t worry ______cats; ______cats can see in ______dark.
4. ______modern boys usually say that they want to be ______spacemen, but most of them
will probably end up in ______less dramatic jobs.
5. Do you know ______time? Yes, ______clock in ______hall has just struck nine.
Then it isn’t ______time to go yet.
6. He was sent to ______prison for ______six months for ______shoplifting. When
______six months are over, he’ll be released; ______difficulty then will be to find ______
work. Have you been to ______prison to visit him?
7. I went to ______school to talk to ______schoolmaster. I persuaded him to let Susan
give up ______gynmastics and take ______piano lessons instead.
8. ______gymnastics are not necessary for ______girls; it is much more useful to be able
to play ______piano.
9. I am on ______night duty. When you go to ______bed, I go to ______work.
10. Sam is at ______office but, you could get him on ______phone. There’s a telephone
booth just around ______corner.
(3)INDEFINITE ARTICLES
Instructions: Insert a or anif necessary. Put an x if no article is needed.
1. My neighbor is ______photographer; let’s ask him for ______advice about color film.
2. We had ______fish and ______chips for lunch. That doesn’t sound like ______very
interesting lunch.
3. He said, “Good night,” but I had ______very bad night; I didn’t sleep ______wink.
4. He is ______vegetarian; you won’t get ______meat as his house. He’ll give you ______
nut sandwich. The last time he served tofu, I had ______indigestion.
5. ______travel agent would give you ______information about ______hotels.
6. We’d better go by ______taxi--if we can get ______taxi at such ______hour as 2 a.m.
7. ______person who suffers from ______claustrophobia does not like being confined in
______small space, and would always prefer ______stairs to ______elevator.
8. Do you take ______sugar in _____ coffee? I used to, but now I’m on ______diet.
I’m trying to lose ______weight.
9. ______man suffering from ______shock should be given ______hot sweet tea.
10. You’ll get ______shock if you touch ______live wire with that screwdriver. Why
don’t you get ______screwdriver with ______insulated handle?
11. Whenever ______student in our class makes ______mistake, the rest of the students laugh.
They always have ______good time.
12. My teacher will think I’m ______very lazy student if I am often late for ______class.
(4)AN EXERCISE ON ARTICLES
Instructions: Fill in each blank with the, a, or an where needed.
1. ______wheel is one of ______greatest achievements of ______humankind.
2. ______most young people hope to find ______easy way of studying, but who has ever
found ______one?
3. ______first man in ______history who ate ______tomato caused his neighbors ______
great deal of ______anxiety.
4. Is ______Plaza Hotel taller than ______White House?
5. Where all ______money I earn goes is ______one of ______mysteries of ______life.
6. Isn’t it ______shame that ______number of ______people always arrive late at
______movies.
7. My room was ______mess after ______children finished playing.
8. If you go east and climb ______hill in front of you, you will be able to see _____ Bear
Mountain.
9. ______number of people who came to ______last meeting of this class ______last
week was very small.
10. Maria thought she had only ______bad headache along with ______cold.
11. In ______lecture I attended ______last night, ______speaker talked about ______
Switzerland, ______Phillipines, ______Spain, and ______United Kingdom.
12. Oh, look! ______moon is shining even though ______sun has not set.
13. I met ______friend of yours ______yesterday. He said he used to go to ______
school with you.
(5) A REVIEW OF ARTICLES
Instructions: Copy the following passage, and add the, an, or a where necessary.
Mr. Houston was experienced traveler, and he had been in all most fascinating spots
of United States, South American republics, and Europe. He had seen Alps and Rockies;
he had lived in Paris and New York; he had stood on shores of Lake Superior and on
banks of Rhine River. He had close friends from many different countries and considered
himself citizen of world. He loved both beauties of art and awe-inspiring spectacles of nature.
Having traveled through northern Europe and from West coast of America to East coast,
Mr. Houston believed that points of interest in New World and Old World were rather
equally divided. Although America had preponderance of scenic wonders, Europe remained
greatest treasure house of priceless monuments expressing spirit of man.