What did these
words originally mean?
A or AN?
-
Use A before a consonant sound
-
Use AN before a vowel sound
So: a banana,
an orange,
a university (vowel letter
but a consonant sound - /j/)
an MTR train (consonant letter
but a vowel sound - /em/)
Use of A/AN
You
use these words with a singular, countable noun:
-
when something is mentioned for the first time
E,g. There is a gorilla in the general office
-
when you mention one of a group of objects but do not make it clear
which of them you mean
E.g. Go to the
cupboard and bring me a plate
(The listener already knows about the plates in the cupboard but it
does not matter which of the plates he brings)
You ALWAYS need to use A or AN with a
singular countable noun unless it already has
a word like the, my, this etc.showing which person or thing is being referred to:
So: I saw
a dog/the dog/your dog/ this dog Ö
BUT I saw dog X
Using THE
Use THE when the listener or reader already
knows which person or thing you are referring to:
-
something which has already been mentioned before.
E.g. The gorilla switched on the air-conditioner (you know about the gorilla because I
mentioned it before as an example for A/AN)
-
there is only one of something
E,g. The earth goes round the sun
-
you are pointing to a person or thing
E,g. Look at the car! It’s coming towards us!
-
there is a phrase after the noun telling us which person or thing is being
referred to
E.g. The student standing by the door is Lee Mo
Yung
The girl in the
green dress is going to sing a song
The king of Spain
The man who came
to dinner will not see us again
EXERCISE EXAMPLE
My school is very big. It has three special rooms.
It has a multi-media room, a music room and an art room.
The multi-media room and the music room
are on the first floor and the art room is on the
second floor. My school also has a playground
and a basketball court.
All the students in
my school are very active. Most of them take part in a different
extra-curricular activity every day. My school also organizes an inter-form competition every month. Sometimes we
ask the principal and our form teachers to join
us.
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. I realized that ___________ smallest change i had
was____ ten dollar note
ANS.I realized that the smallest change I had was a
ten dollar note
2.I Was rubbing myself with ___________ towel when I
heard ___ steps.
Ans. I was rubbing myselp with a towel when I heard the steps.
3. ____ heavy policeman bounded up ____steps .
Ans . A heavy policeman bounded up the steps.
4.In ____small silence,we all heard ___creaking in
___________attie.
Ans . In the small silence, we all heard a creaking in
the attic.
5. We saw small bits of grass peeping through
_______small cracks in ___ concrete
pavement.
Ans. We saw small
bits of grass peeping
through the small cracks in a concrete
pavement.
6.Finding __________ plants and trees took another year
and ______half.
Ans. Finding the plants and trees took another yearand a
half.
7.________ other idea is _______ eco – park for children
.
Ans.The other is an eco – park for children.
8.It is _____ part of _____ series of adventures across
various locations in India.
Ans. It is a part of a series of adventures across
various locations in India.
9.Although winning is _____ goal, he learned _______
value of finishing what he started.
Ans. Although winnig is a goal, he learned the value of
finishing what he started.
10.In ________ sport like badminton, her performances are
all _______ more creditable.
Ans.In a sport like badminton, her performances are all
the more creditable.
11.________energy sector
has not been able to keep pace
with ______rate
of economic developement.
Ans. The energy
sector has not been able to keep pace with the rate of economic
developement.
12.pv modules exposed to ______
sun can produce enough power to run _______ basic appliances in _____home.
Ans.pv modules exposed to the sun can produce enough
power to run the basic appliances in a home.
13.______ grid solar power plants are _____very new phenomenon in India.
Ans.The grid solar power plants are a very new phenomenon
in India.
14.Two meals _____ day was _____tough challenge.
Ans. Two meals a day was a tough challenge.
15.He is approaching _____age of 75 now and he still works 25 hours _____ day.
Ans.He is approaching the age of 75 now and he still
works 25 hours a day.
16.If ______large number of cases are examined, _________
hollowness of such beliefs becomes apparent.
Ans. If a large number of cases are examined, the
hollowness of such beliefs becomes apparent.
17.Performing _______ act of kindness produces _____
positive attitude.
Ans.Performing an act of kindness produces a positive
attitude.
18._________ high temprature changes ________ taste to
_______ more pleasant impression.
Ans.The high temprature changes the taste to a more
pleasant impression.
19.I am ____ very visual person and I am _____ only
child.
Ans.I am a very visual person and I am the only child.
20.Henna is _____ popular cosmetics used to beauty
________ hands and other parts of ______body.
Ans.Henna is a popular cosmetics used to beauty the hands
and other parts of the body.
21.In _____ way, one of ______ greatest gift any teacher
can give ______ student is to inculcate ______ curiosity to learn.
Ans.In a way, one of a
greatest gift any teacher can give a student is to inculcate a curiosity
to learn.
22.I had _____ uneasy night with all _____ weird traffic
sounds.
Ans.I had an uneasy night with all the weird traffic sounds.
23.I would waste hundreds of paper at _______ drop of
_______hat.
Ans.I would waste hundreds of paper at the drop of a hat.
24._______ natural choice for _______ diploma engineer is
to go for ________Btech.
Ans.The natural choice for a diploma engineer is to go
for a Btech.
25.Part of ______ answer lies in setting up _____ right
systems.
Ans. Part of the answer lies in setting up the right
systems.
