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Articles — Advanced

LESSON
Lesson Reference
Grammar rules and examples for self-study
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REVIEW
Review Exercises
Fill-in and gap-fill practice tasks
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ANSWER KEY
Answer Key
Correct answers for all exercises
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Articles — Advanced

Grammar Reference

Form Example
Abstractgeneral → no article · specified → theBeauty lies within.
Generic3 patterns: dogs / a dog / the dogTime heals all wounds.
Fixed phrasesno article: at work, on foot, by heartKnowledge is power.
Headlinesarticles droppedThe beauty of this place stays with you.

Articles — Advanced — Exercises

Choose the correct article (a, an, the, or Ø for no article)

  1. _____ knowledge is the most valuable asset.
    (A / The / Ø) 
  2. She plays _____ violin beautifully.
    (a / the / Ø) 
  3. He is in _____ hospital after the accident.
    (a / the / Ø) 
  4. I had _____ breakfast at seven this morning.
    (a / the / Ø) 
  5. _____ tiger in that photo looks very young.
    (A / The / Ø) 
  6. She has _____ flu and stayed home.
    (a / the / Ø) 
  7. They went to _____ university they always dreamed of.
    (a / the / Ø) 
  8. _____ life expectancy has increased globally.
    (A / The / Ø) 

Explain why the article use is correct

  1. She went to Ø hospital. (not the hospital) — Why?
  2. The music at the concert was wonderful. — Why the?
  3. Ø Tigers are endangered. — Why no article?
  4. She plays the violin. — Why the?

Articles — Advanced — Answer Key

Choose the correct article (a, an, the, or Ø for no article)

  1. Ø
  2. the
  3. Ø
  4. Ø
  5. The
  6. Ø
  7. the
  8. Ø

Explain why the article use is correct

  1. The zero article is used when referring to the institution for its primary purpose, not a specific building.
  2. The is used because this refers to specific music at a specific concert, not music in general.
  3. Zero article is used for generic reference — a statement about the whole species in general.
  4. Musical instruments take the in English — this is a fixed convention.