Grammar quiz | Articles

Interactive Grammar Quiz

Common use of articles

a / an

► usually indicates an item in general or a typical item.

A man and a boy are on a bus.

► is used for the first mention of an item, followed by THE for the second mention of the item.

They took a train to Reno. The train was very clean and comfortable.

the

► usually indicates one or more items that are specific or unique.

The sun and the planets remain a mystery.

► can be used with a first mention of an item only if the item is familiar to both the speaker and the listener.

Honey, where did you park the car? In the driveway, dear.

► is used with nouns preceded by numbers or superlatives.

The four friends sing folk songs. Really? What is the most popular song that they sing?

a or an ?

Use A before words that begin with a consonant (or "u" when it is pronounced like "you").

Use AN before words beginning with a vowel (or with a "silent h").

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
A historian gave us a history lesson.
It was an honorable thing to do.
She teaches at a university.

Zero article

Use the zero article to talk about things in general.

Birds eat worms.
Water flows downhill.
Kangaroos live in Australia.

Grammar quiz : Articles