ARTICLES

Insert a, an or the if necessary.

1. There was __A __ knock on _the___ door. I opened it and found __a__ small dark man in
__a__blue overcoat and __a__ woollen cap.

2. He said he was __an__ employee at __the__ gas company and had come to read __the__
meter.

3. But I had __a__ suspicion that he wasn’t speaking __the__ truth because __-__ meter readers
usually wear __-__ peaked caps.

4. However, I took him to __the__ meter, which is in __A__ corner under __the__ stairs. __-__
meters are usually in ____ dark corners under ____ stairs.

5. I asked if he had __a__ torch. He said he disliked torches and always read __the__ meters by
__the __ light of of __A__ match.

6. I remarked that if it was __a__ leak in __THE__ gaspipe, there might be __an__ explosion while
he was reading __the__ meter.

7. He said, `As __A__ matter of __--__ fact, there was __an__ explosion in __the__ last house I
visited; and Mr. Smith, __the__ owner of __the__ house was burnt in __the__ face.`

8. `Mr. Smith was holding __a__ lighted match at __the__ time of __the__ explosion.`

9. To prevent __a__ possible repetition of this accident, I lent him __a__ torch.

10. He switched on __the__ torch, read __the__ meter and wrote __THE__ reading down on
__the__ back of _AN__ envelope.

11. I said in __-__ surprise that __-__ meter readers usually put __-__ readings down in a book.

12. He said that he had had __a__ book, but that it had been burnt in __THE__ fire in __-__ Mr.
Smith’s house.

13. By this time, I had come to __THE__ conclusion that he wasn’t __a__ genuine meter reader. And
__the__ moment he left __the __ house I rang __the__ police.

14. Are John and Mary __-__ cousins?~

No, they aren’t __-__ cousins. They are __-__ brother and __-__ sister.

15. __the__ fog was so thick that we couldn’t see __the__ side of __the__ road. We followed __a__
car in front of us and hoped that we were going _the___ right way.

16. I can’t remember __THE__ exact date of __the__ storm, but I was __A__ Sunday because
everybody was at __-__ church. On __-__ Monday __THE__ post didn’t come because __THE__
roads were blocked by __-__ fallen trees.
17. Peter thinks that this is quite __a__ cheap restaurant.

18. There’s been __a__ murder here.~

Where’s __the__ body?~

There isn’t __a__ body.~

Then how do you know there’s been __a__ murder?

19. Number __a__ hundred and two, __the__ house next door to us, is for sale. It’s quite __a__ nice
house with __-__ big rooms. __-the__ back windows look out on __the__ park.

20. I don’t know what __-__ price __the__ owners are asking. But Dry and Rot are __THE__ agents.
You could give them __a__ ring and make them __an__ offer.

21. __the___ postman’s little boy says that he’d rather be __a__ dentist than __a__ doctor, because
__---__ dentists don’t get called out at night.

22. Just as __the__ air hostess (there was only one on the plane) was handing me __a__ cup of __-
__ coffee, __the__ plane gave __A__ lurch and __the__ coffee went all over on __THE__ person
on __the__ other side of __the__ gangway.

23. There was __a__ collision between _a__ car and _a___ cyclist at __the__ crossroads near __-__
my house early in __the__ morning. __the__ cyclist was taken to _---___ hospital with _A__
concussion. _the___ driver of _the___ car was treated for __-__ shock. __the__ witnesses say
that __the__ car was going at __-__ seventy miles _an__ hour.

24. Professor Jones, __the__ man who discovered __the__ new drug that everyone is talking about,
refused to give __a__ press conference.

25. Peter Piper, __the__ student in _the___ professor’s college, asked him why he refused to talk to
__the__ press.

26. We’re going to __-__ tea with __the__ Smiths today, aren’t we? Shall we take __THE__ car?~

We can go by __-__ car if you wash __the__ car first. We can’t go to __-__ Mrs. Smith’s in __a__
car all covered with __-__ mud.

27. He got __A__ job in __THE__ south and spent __the__ next two years doing __the__ work he
really enjoyed.

28. It is __a__ pleasure to do ____ business with such __-__ efficient organization.

29. ____ day after ____ day passed without __-__ news and we began to lose __-__ lose.

30. Would you like to hear ____ story about ____ Englishmen, ____ Irishmen and ____ Scotsmen
before and they are all ____ same.

31. But mine is not to __a__ typical story. In my story, __the__ Scotsman is generous, __thw__
Irishman is logical and __the__ Englishman is romantic.~

Oh, if it’s __a___ fantastic story I’ll listen with __-__ pleasure!
32. My aunt lived on __the__ ground floor of __an__ old house on __the__ River Thames. She was
very much afraid of __-__ burglars and always locked up __the__ house very carefully before
she went to __-__ bed. She also took __-__ precaution of looking under __the__ bed to see if
__a__ burglar was hiding there.

33. `__-__ modern burglars don’t hide under __-__ beds,` said the daughter. `I’ll go on looking just
__the__ same,` said my aunt.

34. One morning she rang her daughter in __-__ triumph. `I found __-__ a burglar under __the__
bed __-__ last night,` she said, `and he was quite __a__ young man.`

35. __-__ apples are sold by __-__ pound. These are forty pence __a_ pound.

36. It was __a__ windy morning but they hired __a__ boat and went for __A__ sail along _the__
coast. In __THE__ afternoon __the__ wind increased and they soon found themselves in __-__
difficulties.