| Mastering Articles : A Key to TOEFL Success
Articles |
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
When it comes to the English language, articles play a crucial role in conveying meaning and accuracy. As a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test taker, having a solid understanding of articles is essential for achieving a high score. In this article, we will explore the basics of articles, common usage patterns, and some helpful tips to improve your article usage skills.
1- Understanding the Basics: Articles are small words (a, an, the) that precede nouns and provide essential information about them. They signal whether a noun is specific or nonspecific, and whether it refers to something known or unknown to the listener. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of articles:
– Indefinite Article (a/an): “A” is used before words that begin with consonant sounds, while “an” is used before words that start with vowel sounds. Indefinite articles refer to nonspecific or general things. For example, “I saw a car on the street.”
– Definite Article (the): “The” is used to refer to specific or particular nouns. It indicates that the noun is already known or has been mentioned before. For example, “I saw the car that you were talking about.”
2- Usage Patterns: Understanding when and how to use articles can be challenging, as there are various usage patterns to consider. Here are some common scenarios:
– General Statements: When talking about things in a general sense, indefinite articles are used. For example, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
– Singular vs. Plural: Indefinite articles are used with singular countable nouns, while definite articles are used with both singular and plural countable nouns. For example, “A cat is a curious animal” and “The cats in the park are playful.”
– Specific vs. Non-Specific: If you are introducing a noun for the first time, use indefinite articles. Once the noun is known or has been mentioned before, switch to the definite article. For example, “I have a dog. The dog is very friendly.”
3- Tips for Improving Article Usage Skills: Mastering article usage requires practice and exposure to English language materials. Here are a few tips to enhance your skills:
– Read extensively: Engage in regular reading to observe how articles are used in different contexts. Pay attention to how articles are used with specific and general nouns.
– Listen to native speakers: Listening to English conversations, podcasts, or lectures will help you develop a sense of when and how articles are used naturally.
– Practice with exercises: Utilize TOEFL preparation materials and online resources that provide exercises specifically targeting article usage. Consistent practice will reinforce your understanding and application of articles.
– Seek feedback: Ask a native English speaker or a qualified English teacher to review your writing and provide feedback on your article usage. This will help you identify any recurring mistakes and rectify them. |
Conclusion: Articles are an integral part of English grammar, and mastering their usage is crucial for success in the TOEFL exam. By understanding the basics, familiarizing yourself with common usage patterns, and practicing regularly, you can significantly improve your article usage skills. Remember, consistency and exposure to the English language are key to achieving proficiency in this area. Best of luck with your TOEFL preparation! |
Articles
Exercise-1
Articles are an important part of English grammar. There are three types of articles in English: “the”, “a/an”, and the zero article (no article). “The” is used to refer to specific nouns or concepts that are already known or have been mentioned before. “A/an” is used to refer to non-specific nouns or when mentioning something for the first time. The zero article is used when we are referring to a general or abstract idea. Understanding how to use articles correctly is crucial for constructing grammatically accurate English sentences.
Fill in the blanks with a or an.
| 1. ………. one-eyed monster |
| 2. ………. university graduate |
| 3. ………. used car |
| 4. ………. hurricane |
| 5. ………. only child |
| 6. ………. house cell |
| 7. ………. eager student |
| 8. ………. usual mistake |
| 1- a one-eyed monster
2- a university graduate
3- a used car
4- a hurricane
5- an only child
6- a house cell
7- an eager student
8- a usual mistake |
| 1- I saw a one-eyed monster in the movie last night.
2- She became a university graduate after completing her studies.
3- He bought a used car from the dealership.
4- The news warned about a hurricane approaching the coast.
5- Sarah is an only child in her family.
6- They converted a house cell into a home office.
7- An eager student eagerly asked questions during the lecture.
8- Making small mistakes is a usual part of the learning process. |
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Articles
Exercise-2
Choose the article that correctly completes each sentence below.
| 1. Beyond the ranch is (a, an) desert that gets only six or seven inches of rain each year. |
| 2. If you’re stumped for (a, an) answer in today’s crossword puzzle, call 1-800-500- CLUE. |
| 3. A head-on collision between two cars is much less likely to occur than (a, an) off-center collision. |
| 4. Colonel Lurie wore a blue striped shirt and (a, an) yellow polka dotted tie. |
| 5. By sitting next to (a, an) exit on public transportation, you make it easier for a thief to escape with your belongings. |
| 6. (A, An) kitchen decorated in American Country style is often crowded with baskets, primitive furniture, and other collectibles. |
| 7. Walter stores his extra cash in (a, an) empty cereal box. |
| 8. Sheila always wears (a, an) uniform to work. |
| 9. Each year (a, an) cowbird can lay as many as forty eggs in other bird’s nests. |
| 10. It is (a, an) honor to be chosen to attend the convention. |
Answer :
| 1-a |
2-an |
3-an |
4-a |
5-an |
6-a |
7-an |
8-a |
9-a |
10-an |
1- Beyond the ranch is a desert that gets only six or seven inches of rain each year.
2- If you’re stumped for an answer in today’s crossword puzzle, call 1-800-500-CLUE.
3- A head-on collision between two cars is much less likely to occur than an off-center collision.
4- Colonel Lurie wore a blue striped shirt and a yellow polka dotted tie.
5- By sitting next to an exit on public transportation, you make it easier for a thief to escape with your belongings.
6- A kitchen decorated in American Country style is often crowded with baskets, primitive furniture, and other collectibles.
7- Walter stores his extra cash in an empty cereal box.
8- Sheila always wears a uniform to work.
9- Each year a cowbird can lay as many as forty eggs in other birds’ nests.
10- It is an honor to be chosen to attend the convention. |
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-3
Fill in the blanks with a, an, the , or leave the blank.
| 1. Al is making fifteen dollars ………. hour at Chambers’ Turkey Products. |
| 2. Jill makes it ………. habit to buy clothes on sale. |
| 3. To tell ………. truth, a bank savings account may not be the best place for your money. |
| 4. Helen showed ………. initiative when she decided to start a business of her own. |
| 5. Losing as little as ………. quart of blood can result in shock and unconsciousness. |
| 6. Over ………. last 20 years, more than 3 million people have attended the Country Dinner Playhouse. |
| 7. Major changes have taken place in ………. financial services industry. |
| 8. Dr. Richards predicts ………. extinction of the whooping crane. |
| 9. Most people believe that ………. liberty is very precious. |
| 10. Taking a hot bath is ………. good way to relax. |
| 11. Lower programming costs raised the net income reported by ………. major television networks this week. |
Answer :
| 1.an |
2.a |
3.the |
4.- |
5.a |
6.the |
7.the |
8.the |
9.- |
10.a |
11.the |
1- Al is making fifteen dollars an hour at Chambers’ Turkey Products.
2- Jill makes it a habit to buy clothes on sale.
3- To tell the truth, a bank savings account may not be the best place for your money.
4- Helen showed initiative when she decided to start a business of her own.
5- Losing as little as a quart of blood can result in shock and unconsciousness.
6- Over the last 20 years, more than 3 million people have attended the Country Dinner Playhouse.
7- Major changes have taken place in the financial services industry.
8- Dr. Richards predicts the extinction of the whooping crane.
9- Most people believe that liberty is very precious.
10- Taking a hot bath is a good way to relax.
11- Lower programming costs raised the net income reported by the major television networks this week. |
Exercise-4
Supply the article the if it is necessary.
| 1. ……….. Andes |
13. ……….. Antarctic Continent |
25. ……….. Antiles |
| 2. ……….. Arctic Ocean |
14. ……….. Asia |
26. ……….. Bahamas |
| 3. ……….. Baikal |
15. ……….. Belgium |
27. ……….. Bay of Bengal |
| 4. ……….. Caucasus |
16. ……….. Central America |
28. ……….. Corsica |
| 5. ……….. Crimea |
17. ……….. Dublin |
29. ……….. English Channel |
| 6. ……….. Everest |
18. ……….. Gibraltar |
30. ……….. Great Bear Lake |
| 7. ……….. Hague |
19. ……….. Havana |
31. ……….. Hawaiian Isles |
| 8. ……….. Hudson Bay |
20. ……….. Kalahari Desert |
32. ……….. Ladoga |
| 9. ……….. Lenin Peak |
21. ……….. Maldives |
33. ……….. New Zealand |
| 10. ……….. Netherlands |
22. ……….. North Pole |
34. ……….. Pacific Ocean |
| 11. ……….. Panama Canal |
23. ……….. Persian Gulf |
35. ……….. Philippines |
| 12. ……….. Sahara |
24. ……….. Sakhalin |
36. ……….. Urals |
Answers:
| 1. the |
2. the |
3. – |
4. the |
5. the |
6. – |
7. the |
8. the |
9. – |
| 10. the |
11. the |
12. the |
13. – |
14. – |
15 – |
16 – |
17. – |
18. the |
| 19 – |
20. the |
21. the |
22. the |
23. the |
24 – |
25. the |
26. the |
27. the |
| 28 – |
29. the |
30 – |
31. the |
32. – |
33. – |
34. the |
35. the |
36. the |
|
Articles
Exercise-5
Supply the article the if it is necessary.
| 1. ……….. Thanksgiving |
9. ……….. Cooper’s Art School |
17. ……….. University of Florida |
| 2. ……….. President Kennedy |
10. ……….. Hyde Park |
18. ……….. Crimean War |
| 3. ……….. Christmas |
11. ……….. Waterloo Bridge |
19. ……….. Queen Elizabeth |
| 4. ……….. President |
12. ……….. Cambridge University |
20. ……….. Tower of London |
| 5. ……….. Trafalgar Square |
13. ……….. Piccadilly Circus |
21. ……….. Eiffel Tower |
| 6. ……….. Vatican |
14. ……….. Buckingham Palace |
22. ……….. Westminster Abbey |
| 7. ……….. London University |
15. ……….. Kremlin |
23. ……….. St. Paul’s Cathedral |
| 8. ……….. White House |
16. ……….. British Museum |
24. ……….. Houses of Parliament |
Answer :
| 1. – |
2. – |
3. – |
4. the |
5. – |
6. the |
7. – |
8. the |
9. – |
10. – |
11. – |
12. – |
| 13. – |
14. – |
15. the |
16. the |
17. the |
18. the |
19. – |
20. the |
21. the |
22. – |
23. – |
24. the |
|
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-6
Supply the articles a, the if they are necessary.
| 1. all of ……….. sudden |
16.at ……….. sunset |
| 2. to play ……….. violin |
17.in ……….. loud voice |
| 3. as ……….. result |
18.to watch ……….. TV |
| 4. in ……….. conclusion |
19. at ……….. first sight |
| 5. in ……….. demand |
20.to listen to ……….. radiov |
| 6. at ……….. time |
21. ……….. day before yesterday |
| 7. to tell ……….. truth 2 |
2.to be in ……….. bed |
| 8. to be in ……….. hurry |
23. after ……….. lunch |
| 9. to be at ……….. loss |
24. for ……….. example |
| 10. from ……….. time to ……….. time |
25.two times ……….. day |
| 11 .once ……….. week |
26.to tell ……….. time |
| 12.by ……….. mistake |
27.in ……….. fact |
| 13. from ……….. head to ……….. foot |
28. by ……….. bicycle |
| 14. ……….. other day |
29. to have ……….. good time |
| 15. as ……….. matter of fact |
30.to take ……….. seat |
| 1. a |
2. – , the |
3. a |
4. – |
5. – |
6. a |
7. the |
8. a |
9. a |
10. – , – |
| 11. a |
12. – |
13.-,- |
14. the |
15. a |
16. – |
17. a |
18. – |
19. – |
20. the |
| 21. the |
22. – |
23. – |
24. – |
25. a |
26. the |
27. – |
28. – |
29. a |
30. a |
|
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-7
Choose the correct variant.
1. It is washed by the waters of ………. .
A ) an Atlantic Ocean
B ) Atlantic Ocean
C ) the Atlantic Ocean
Answer : C) the Atlantic Ocean
|
2. The Queen of Great Britain is not ………. .
A ) the absolute
B ) absolute
C ) an absolute
Answer : B ) absolute
|
3. ………. is the main modern art museum.
A ) Tate Gallery
B ) A Tate Gallery
C ) The Tate Gallery
Answer : A ) Tate Gallery
|
4. ………. drive on the left-hand side in their country.
A ) the British
B ) British
C ) A British
Answer: A ) the British
|
5. They are ………. .
A ) a nice people
B ) the nice people
C ) nice people
Answers : C) nice people
|
6. The acting was poor, but we enjoyed ………. .
A ) music
B ) a music
C ) the music
Answers : C ) the music
|
7. She simply loves ………. and dancing.
A ) music
B ) a music
C ) the music
Answers : A ) music
|
Articles
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Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-8
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the, or leave blank.
| 1. ………. Alaska is the largest state in ………. United States. |
| 2. She was driving at a speed of ninety miles ………. hour. |
| 3. Abraham Lincoln was President of ………. United States during ………. Civil War. |
| 4. ………. corn is the most important of all American crops. |
| 5. ………. water in this glass is not good. |
| 6. Jane and I had ………. lunch at ………. school cafeteria. |
| 7. ………. Rocky Mountains stretch all the way from ………. Mexico to ………. Arctic. |
| 8. Richard wants to study ………. Computer Engineering at ………. Ohio State University. |
| 1. -,the |
2.an |
3. the, the |
4. – |
5. the |
6. -,the |
7. the,-, the |
8.-,- |
Articles
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Exercise-9
Fill in the blanks with a, an or some, or leave blank.
| 1. Have you got ………. camera? |
| 2. Would you like to be ………. actor? |
| 3. Bill’s got ………. big feet. |
4. Do you collect ………. stamps?
5. Tom always gives Ann ………. flowers on her birthday. |
| 6. Those are ………. really nice trousers. Where did you get them? |
| 7. What ………. beautiful garden? |
| 8. What ………. lovely children. |
| 9. ………. birds, for example the penguin, cannot fly. |
| 10. Jack has got ………. very long legs, so he’s ………. fast runner. |
| 11. You need ………. visa to visit ………. foreign countries, but not all of them. |
| 12. I’m going shopping. I want to buy ………. new clothes. |
| 13. Jane is ………. teacher. Her parents were ………. teachers too. |
14. When we reached the city centre, ………. shops were still open but most of them were already closed.
15. Do you enjoy going to ………. concert? |
| 16. When I was ………. child, I used to be very shy. |
| 1. a |
2. an |
3. – |
4. – |
5.some/– |
6. – |
7. a |
8. – |
| 9.some |
10.–,a |
11.a,some |
12.some |
13.a,– |
14.some |
15.– |
16.a |
Articles
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Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-10
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the.
| 1. Would you like ………. apple? |
| 2. Could you close ………. door, please? |
| 3. We live in ………. small flat near ………. centre of the city. |
| 4. Have you finished with ………. book I lent you last week? |
| 5. We went out for ………. meal last night. ………. restaurant we went to was excellent. |
| 6. Did ………. police find ………. person who stole your bicycle? |
| 7. This is a nice house. Has it got ………. garden? |
| 8. It was warm and sunny, so we decided to sit in ………. garden. |
| 9. This morning I had ………. boiled egg and ………. toast for breakfast. |
| 10. ………. President of United States is elected every four years. |
| 11. As I was walking along the street, I saw ………. 10$ note on ………. pavement. |
| 12. I went into the shop and asked to speak to ………. manager. |
| 13. Have you got ………. car? ……….. No, I’ve never had ………. car in my life. |
| 14. There’s no need to buy any milk. ………. milkman brings it every morning. |
| 1. an |
2. the |
3. a, the |
4. the |
5. a, the |
6. the, the |
7. a |
| 8. the |
9. a,- |
10. The |
11. a, the |
12. the |
13. a, a |
14. the |
|
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-11
Fill in the blanks with a, an or the, or leave blank.
| 1. I wrote my name at ………. top of the page. |
| 2. ………. moon goes around ………. earth every 27 hours. |
| 3. The Soviet Union was ………. first country to send a man into space. |
| 4. Did you see the film on ………. television or at ………. cinema? |
| 5. After ………. lunch, we went for a walk by ………. sea. |
| 6. I’m not very hungry. I had ………. big breakfast. |
| 7. John was ………. only person I talked to at the party. |
| 8. Tim lives in ………. small village in ………. country. |
| 9. Peru is ………. country in South America. ………. capital is Lima |
| 10. I never listen to ………. radio. In fact I haven’t got ………. radio. |
| 11. It was ………. beautiful day. ………. sun shone brightly in ………. sky |
| 12. I’ve invited Tom to ………. dinner next Wednesday. |
| 13. What is ………. highest mountain in ………. world? |
14. We don’t go to ………. theatre very much these days. In fact, in ………. town where we
live there isn’t ………. theatre |
| 15. It was a long voyage. We were at ………. sea for four weeks. |
| 16. I prefer swimming in ………. sea to swimming in pools. |
| 17. Can you turn ………. television down, please? It’s a bit loud. |
| 1.the |
2.The,the |
3.the |
4.– the |
5.–the |
6.a |
7.the |
8.a the |
|
| 9.a, the |
10.the, a |
11.a,the, the |
12. – |
13. the, the |
14.the, the, a |
15. – |
16. the |
17. the |
Articles
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Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-12
Choose the correct form in the parentheses.
| 1. (Apples / The apples) are good for you. |
| 2. Look at (apples / the apples) on that tree! They’re very large. |
| 3. (Women / The women) are often better teachers than (men / the men). |
| 4. In Britain (coffee / the coffee) is more expensive than (tea / the tea). |
| 5. We had a very nice meal in that restaurant. (Cheese / The cheese) was especially good. |
6. (Most people / The most people) still believe that (marriage / the marriage) and
(family life / the family life) are the basis of our society. |
| 7. They got married but (marriage / the marriage) wasn’t successful. |
| 8. I know someone who wrote a book about (life / the life) of Gandhi. |
| 9. (Life / The life) would be very difficult without (electricity / the electricity). |
| 10. (Skiing / The skiing) is my favourite sport but I also like (swimming / the swimming). |
| 11. (Second World War / The Second World War) ended in 1945. |
| 12. Do you know (people / the people) who lived next door? |
| 13. Are you interested in (art / the art) of (architecture / the architecture)? |
| 14. (All books / All the books) on the top shelf belong to me. |
| 15. Don’t stay in that hotel. (Beds / The beds) are very uncomfortable. |
| 16. Two of the biggest problems facing our society are (crime / the crime) and (unemployment / the unemployment). |
| 17. I hate (violence / the violence). |
Answers :
| 1. Apples |
| 2. the apples |
| 3. Women, men |
| 4. coffee, tea |
| 5. The cheese |
| 6. Most people, marriage, family life |
| 7. the marriage |
| 8. the life |
| 9. Life, electricity |
| 10. Skiing, swimming |
| 11. The Second World War |
| 12. the people |
| 13. art, architecture |
| 14. All the books |
| 15.The beds |
| 16. crime, unemployment |
| 17.violence |
Articles |
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Exercise-13
Correct the sentences where necessary.
| 1. Last year we visited Canada and United States. |
| 2. Africa is much larger than Europe. |
| 3. South of England is warmer than north. |
| 4. We went to Spain for our holidays swam in Mediterranean. |
| 5. Tom visited most countries in Western Europe. |
| 6. A friend of mine used to work as a reporter in Middle East. |
| 7. Next year we are going skiing in Swiss Alps. |
| 8. Malta has been a republic since 1974. |
| 9. The Nile is longest river in Africa. |
| 10. United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. |
| 11. When an university formulates new regulations, it must relay its decisions to the students and faculty. |
| 12. Jim was upset last night because he had to do too many homeworks. |
| 13. There are some scissors in the desk drawer in the bedroom if you need them. |
| 14. The Board of Realtors doesn’t have any informations about the increase in rent for this area. |
| 15. When Keith visited Alaska, he lived in a igloo, in the winter months as well as in the spring. |
| 16. Is the Everest the highest mountain in the world? |
| 17. This school has quite a large campus. |
| 18. The news that you brought was great shock. |
| 19. Is Malta in the Mediterranean? |
| 20. The good books have good examples. |
Answers
| 1. the United States |
8. T |
15. an igloo |
| 2. T |
9. the longest |
16-Everest |
| 3. the south … the north |
10.The United Kingdom |
17.T |
| 4. the Mediterranean |
11. a university |
18. a great shock |
| 5. T |
12.much homework |
19.T |
| 6. the Middle East |
13.T |
20.good books |
| 7. the Swiss Alps |
14. information |
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
|
Exercise-14
Define whether the following sentences are True (T) or False (F). Correct mistakes.
| 1. John’s friends had a farewell party for him last Friday. |
| 2. He tried hard to get good grade on the test. |
| 3. It is always difficult to make the decisions. |
| 4. When he lived in Paris he went to parties every weekend. |
| 5. They gave me a electric typewriter for my birthday. |
| 6. Paul began to think that he would never find the happiness. |
| 7. The old man no longer believed that money was the most important thing in life. |
| 8. He wanted to try on pair of jogging shoes at the store. |
| 9. In all his life he had never wanted to try the wine. |
| 10. She does not have an understanding of the subject yet. |
| 11. I just saw boys from Africa that I met at the International House party last week. |
| 12. Teachers usually spend many hours correcting papers. |
| 13. Some people believe that frankness is the best policy in any situation |
| 14. The man who fixed my air-conditioning unit accidentally broke the fan. |
| 15. The doctors have to go to school for many years to complete their education. |
Answers :
| 1. T |
6. F, happiness |
11. F, the boys |
| 2. F, a good grade |
7. T |
12. T |
| 3. F, make decisions |
8. F, a pair |
13. F, frankness |
| 4. T |
9. F.wine |
14. T |
| 5. F, an electric typewriter |
10. T |
15. F, Doctors |
Mastering Articles : A Key to TOEFL Success |
Mastering Articles: A Key to TOEFL Success
Online Quiz
Learn English grammar articles a, and and the. Learn whether to pronounce ‘the’ or ‘thee’ and ‘an’ or un’. This English grammar class shows the 9 rules of articles in English.
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