Учебно-методические материалы по теме "The Noun"
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку (9, 10, 11 класс) на тему

NOUNS

The noun denotes thingness in a general sense. Thus nouns name things (book, table), living beings (man, tiger), places (valley, London, England), materials (iron, oil), processes (life, laughter), states (sleep, consciousness), abstract notions (socialism, joy) and qualities (kindness, courage).

SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF NOUNS

Study the definitions of nouns.

Common nouns denote a class of objects or a concept.

Proper nouns name a particular person, place, or object that is spelled with a capital letter.

Count nouns can be used in the singular and the plural.

Non-count nouns are not used with 'a' or 'an' and cannot be made plural.

Collective  nouns describe a group of things or people as a unit.  

Concrete nouns refer to a real physical object

Animate nouns refer to living beings.

Inanimate nouns refer to a lifeless thing.

Abstract nouns refer to a thing that does not exist as a material object.

Material nouns denote a physical substance that things can be made from.

Nouns of multitude have a meaning of discrete plurality, that is plurality denoting separate beings.

Collective proper has a meaning of  plurality as indivisible whole.

1. Classify each noun giving definitions of its characteristics. 

Wall, pen, air, chalk, picture, water, match, tea, hour, bread, river, friend, copper, police, cigarette, tobacco, cheese, teacher, glass (стакан),  glass (стекло), paper (бумага), paper (газета), music, coffee, armchair, gold, ship, ice, money, assistant, assistance, obligation, meat, equipment, word, news.

2. Underline the odd word. Justify your choice.

1. family, money, cattle, idea, crew

2. progress, research, advice, knowledge, phenomenon

3. salesman, table, pen, umbrella, shop

4. waitress, singer, booklet, refusal, looking-glass

5. tea, growth, sugar, water, snow

3. Agree or disagree with the statements. Correct the false ones.

1. A rule is a common count concrete inanimate noun.

2. A commite is a collective noun, a noun of multitude.

3. A student is a commom count concrete inanimate noun.

4. Trousers is a collective proper.

5. The Netherlands is a common count concrete inanimate noun.

4. State whether nouns in bold type are proper or common. Justify your answer.

1. You can't buy a Cadillac for the same price as a Ford. 2. The next day I came across Cramer still trying to locate the trouble with the Mercedes. 3. The old Ford groaned as Tom shifted it into the second gear. 4. Do the police have any idea yet they're looking for a Jaguar? 5. I have a Fear of handing guns? and so it was an effort for me to examine the Browning. 6. To the right and left guns spoke, here a short gun, a Colt or a Smith and Wesson. 7. In Paris, the baron finished reading the first column in the European edition of the "New York Times" and pushed it across the breakfast table to Caroline. 8. He thrust  the newspaper aside and snatched up the "Sunday Mail". 9. You have a drawer for yourself where you put own stuff, such as sandwiches, the "Manchester Guardian", the "Daily Mirror". 10. He stood on the corner of First Avenue looking a taxi.

5. State whether the nouns in bold type are countable or uncountable. Justify your answer.

1. Mrs. Elsing was a thin, frail woman, who had been a beauty. 2. What I have said, he began again, refers to beauty in the wider sense of the world. 3. Clutton gave a long discourse on the subject that beauty is put into things by painters and poets. They create beauty. 4. She was not a beauty, in the sense that several woman in this room were beauties; she had none of the remoteness that beauty needs. 5. Herbert looked at the youths, remembered their fathers. 6.Youth, unfortunately, cures itself. 7. Give those articles to Mr.Tom like a most noble youth. 8. You're a pretty little thing and young. Youth is so beautiful. 9. The coals fell suddenly, leaving a bright hollow in which the sparks stood still as fireflies. He leaned across to throw on coal. 10. His eyes glowed redly like twin coals.

MORPHOLOGICAL COMPOSITION

According to their morphological composition nouns can be divided into simple, derived, and compound.

Simple nouns consist of only one root-morpheme: dog, chair, room, roof, leaf.

Some simple nouns can function as verbs or adjectives with no change in form.

What's the answer? (noun)                                Answer the question. (verb)

I don't like the cold. (noun)                               I don't like cold weather. (adjective)

1. Underline the words in bold type which function as a noun. Define the class they belong to.

1. We queued for half an hour. We waited in a queue for half an hour. 2. This orange smells strange. I don't like orange colour. This orange has got a strange smell. 3. I didn't know the answer, so I guessed. I didn't know the answer, so I had a guess. 4. I didn't reply to the letter. I wrote a reply to the letter. 5. I'm going to ring. I'm going to give her a ring.

Derived nouns (derivatives) are composed of one root-morpheme and one or more derivational morphemes (prefixes or suffixes).

However, there are no certain rules to follow to form one word from another.

2. Make nouns from the following words. Consult the dictionary if necessary.

Example: employ - employee, employer, employment

Post, except, expand, accept, publish, develop, combine, drive, inspire, instruct, potray, translate, injure, refer, apologise, examine, pollute, judge, use, lonely, reluctant, excellent, intelligent, acurate, excited, fragile, regular, stupid, isolate.

3. Combine the suffixes on the right with the verbs and adjectives on the left, and then complete the text below. (Remember you may need to make a small spelling change. Consult the dictionary.)

In his first broadcast on 1) ............ since he won the 2) ............ last month, the Prime Minister promised to make health and 3) ............ two of his top priorities. And in a strong attack on the previous 4) ............ , he said that the present 5) ............ of the British economy was caused entirely by 6) ............ and bad 7) ............ . He said he would act immediately and he hoped the British people would be able to see clear signs of an 8) ............ in the  economy by the end of the year.

4. Fill in the right form of the words in brackets. Consult the dictionary if necessary.

The 1) ... length... (long) of the journey was beginning to cause a lot of 2) ............ (frustrate) for everyone involved. Unfortunately, father got the blame, as he had been responsible for the 3) ............ (organise) of the trip. 4) ............ (impatient) had begun to set in when we realised we'd been given the wrong 5) ............ (direct) by a well-meaning pedestrian. What is more, father's 6) ............ (popular) was not increased by his 7) ............ (insist) that we stop every hour or so to observe the scenery. The trip to France, he'd said, would broaden our horizons and provide us with both 8) ............ (amuse) and 9) ............ (educate). However, in 10) ............ (real), it turned out to be an  unbearable waste of time and effort. It was then  that we made the 11) ............ (decide) never to listen to one of the father's 12) ............ (propose) again.  

5.  Add the correct prefixes to the beginning of the words.

1. The ... anti-...government protesters marched to parliament.

2. There were violent scenes as .............. government and anti-government demonstrations fought outside parliament.

3.  The .............. president of the United States was honoured at a ceremony, five years after he resigned.

4. The media gave her  so much attention she became a .............. star overnight.

5. I always find the day after Christmas an .............. climax.

Compound nouns consist of at least two stems. The meaning of a compound is not a mere sum of its elements.

Compound nouns are usually written as two words (e.g. credit card), but sometimes they are joined by a hyphen (e.g. baby-sitter), or written as one word (e.g. sunglasses). Unfortunately, there is no rule for this, so you may need to check in a dictionary.

6. Take one word from the right column and one word from the left column to create a compound. Consult a dictionary.

7. Complete these sentences with suitable compound nouns. Use the words from  the list given below.

Parking meter, science fiction, first aid box, waiting room, traffic jam, baby sitter, income tax, film star, alarm clock, sunglasses.  

1. I'm late because there was a terrible ................  in the centre of town.

2. Humphrey Bogart was a famous ................. in the forties and fifties.

3. My ................. didn't ring this morning and I didn't wake up until 9.30.

4. When I got to the surgery, I had to sit in the ................. for forty minutes before I could see the dentist.

5. Mary really wanted to see the film but she couldn't find a  ................. for  the children, so she had to stay at home.

6. When I'm driving I always wear ................. if it's very bright and sunny.

7. You have to pay ................. on your salary in Britain; the amount depends on how much you earn.

8. I often have the same problem: I park the car next to a ................. , and then I discover that I don't have the right money.

9.   In some countries you have to have a .................  in your car for minor injuries and illnesses.

10. My brother loves................. , but I prefer true stories about the present and the past.

8. Find compounds to suit the following definitions:

1. the room where you eat meals

2. Tom Cruise, Kristen Stewart

3. your sister's husband, your husband's brother

4. the tax you pay on your salary

5. paper for writing letters

6. the machine for washing clothes

7. a book which has cheques

8. he/she looks after children when parents are out

9. your first language

10. stories about the future

11. where you buy tickets in cinemas and theaters

9. Comment on morphological composition and semantic classification of the nouns in bold type.

1. The present owner of the cottage is going to sell it. 2. Everybody welcomed the decision. 3. Jack knew about the robbery. 4. After the research Alice had a lot of examples of his style of writing. 5. The concerned parents had a meeting. 6. The argument hasn't been discussed yet. 7. Bruce was a tall man with black eyebrows and a grey moustache. 8. This businessman has a clear understanding and a good judgment of market development. 9. A diving board is a platform or  a springboard which swimmers may dive. 10. Our flight is delayed again! 11. There is a danger that anger at the new law will turn into anti-government movement. 12. Extra money does little to raise your sense of happiness. 13. Forget-me-nots are favourite flowers of my Granny. 14. Her ex-husband was given the punishment of five years in prison. 15. Women-doctors explained the reason for their arrival by their wish to rescue the children of war.

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Morphologically nouns are characterized by the grammatical categories of number and case.

Gender does not find regular morphological expression. The distinction of male, female, and neuter may correspond to the lexical meaning of the noun:

THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER

English countable nouns have two numbers: the singular and the plural. Singular denotes one, plural denotes more than one. Most count nouns are variable and can occur with either singular or plural number. In Modern English the singular form of a noun is unmarked (zero). The plural form is marked by the inflexion -(e)s. The spelling and the pronunciation of the plural morpheme vary.

The rules for forming the regular plural of nouns

1. Write the plurals of these nouns in the columns to show their pronunciation

[s]

........................................__

........................................__

[z]

........................................__

........................................__

[iz]

........................................__

........................................__

City, traveller, building, machine, house, church, glass, sky, cargo, toy, colour, handkerchief, bundle, wife, feeling, method, opinion, mango, half, effect, year, duty, bush, library, valley, fox, bus, pen, window, language, speech, pocket, clock, cloth, watch, friend, eye, ear, ray, country, field, stitch, colony, loaf, sailor, hoof.

The rules for forming the irregular plural of nouns

2. Write the plurals of these nouns

Index, deer, louse, cherub, vertebra, swine, tooth, phenomenon, grouse, parenthesis, antenna, pike, brother, matrix, memorandum, genius, focus, thesis, erratum, child, axis.

Plural in compound nouns

3. Write the plurals of these nouns

Go-between, coat-of-mail, boy-scout, mouthful, court-martial, drop-out, commander-in-chief, pick-up, attorney-general, port-authority, gin-and-tonic, fisherman, pocket-knife, schoolgirl, boy-messenger, room-mate, onlooker, postman, text-book, sister-in-law.

4. State the number of the nouns in nouns in bold type. Define the class they belong to.

1. Sam amused himself by fitting branches into the fire as closely as possible. 2. Philip gazed with delight upon the passers-by. 3. Demerest reached out to switch radios. 4. He seemed to have more grey hairs at his temples. 4. He seemed to have more grey hairs at his temples. 5. At Capraccota, he had told me, there were trout in the stream below the town. 6. The gray waters of the Atlantic stared back at me. 7. A netting wire fence ran all around to keep our rabbits and deer. 8. I really cannot help you beliefs or your disbeliefs. 9. " The children are on the stair," said Daniel. 10. You did not witness any of these phenomena yourself, did you? 11. Perhaps, there aren't any grown-ups there. 12. In the silence that followed there came a clatter of hoofs.

5. Fill in the plural as in the example:

I wonder who decides what sort of 1) ....animals.... (animal) are kept in 2) ............ (zoo)? You expect to see a lot of 3) ............ (monkey), 4) ............ (rhino), and 5) ............ (lion), but you rarely see 6) ............ (ox), 7) ............ (sheep), 8) ............ (deer) or 9) ............ (goose), probably because these can be seen commonly enough in the wild. Each day large 10) ............ (delivery) of food arrive for the 11) ............ (beast) to eat. Not expensive items like 12) ............ (salmon) or 13) ............ (trout), but ordinary things like 14) ............ (potato) and 15) ............ (tomato) - although the 16) ............ (panda) like 17) ............ (bamboo). The whole family, 18) ............ (man), 19) ............ (woman) and 20) ............ (child) can take 21) ............ (photo) or make 22) ............ (video) of them eating with their 23) ............ (paw) and 24) ............ (tooth), since animals do not use 25) ............ (knife) and 26) ............ (fork) to eat.

6. Fill in the plural as in the example:

Dear Manager,

I'm writing to complain about the terrible evening I had at your restaurant. We had reserved a table but when we arrived, there weren't enough 1) ....chairs.... (chair) for us to sit on. Even though we'd checked beforehand, we were told that there were no 2) ............ (meal) especially for 3) ............ (child). We had to keep asking the waiter to bring us some 4) ............ (glass) and when he gave us our 5) ............ (knife) and 6) ............ ( fork), they were dirty. We  were informed that not all the 7) ............ (dish) were available that evening and, when we did receive our food, the 8) ............ (potato) were raw and the meat was so tough I nearly broke my 9) ............ (tooth) when I bit into it. However, that was nothing! The real horror was when I  saw two 10) ............ (mouse) running across the floor. I think I'm entitled to some compensation as long as it doesn't include free 11) ............ (meal) at your restaurant! I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

M. Bennet

7. Fill in: is or are.

1. Your jeans ....are.... hanging in the wardrobe.

2. Where ............ my scissors?

3. There ............ a lecture on economics today.

4. The shopping ............ extremely heavy.

5. Where ............ my boxing gloves?

6. This information ............ incorrect!

7. Her hair ............beautiful.

8. Your socks ............ in the drawer.

9. Her furniture ............ very expensive.

10. His accommodation ............luxurious.

11. Evidence ............ needed before the trail can continue.

12. The news ............ very exciting.

13. Mumps ............ a common illness among young children.

14. Where ............ my glasses?

15. German ............difficult to learn.

16. Where ............the kitchen scales? I want to weigh some flour.

17. Chess ............ a popular game.

18. Her work ............very tiring.

19. People ............ starving in many countries.

20. Happiness ............ the key to her success.

8. State the number of the nouns in bold type and give the corresponding singular or plural, if any.

1. The doctor told him not to read without glasses. 2. Women who write anonymous letters to themselves are such a common phenomenon. 3. You are not to leave the state unless we give you permission. 4. It gave him a thrill to realize that Julia had genius. 5. The Japanese are a wonderful people, fond of dancing and light wines. 6. There was scarcely a white hair on her head and her eyes, as black and shining as buttons, sparkled with fun. 7. Love can never make us forget that we are brothers-in-arms, can it? 8. It gave the impression of shameful slum conditions, in spite of the television antennae at practically every roof. 9. She evidently remembered Joseph and his brethren. 10. Alice was one of those actresses who were quite sure of themselves from the first rehearsal.

9. Change the number of the nouns in bold type making all the necessary changes.

1. Afterwards he took a photo of me with wet hair to finish out the film. 2. He was as lively as a trout in a mountain stream. 3. It was like lying in the dark with a mosquito hovering above his face. 4. It is only a hypothesis, that it's possible. 5. Everybody had a handkerchief concealed in his cuff. 6. The waitress spent the morning working in the dining-room. 7. He talked to another Divisional chief. 8. " A pony is always small," said Regan. 9. Eric watched the wood-lice that were unable to avoid the flames. 10. If wolves appeared tonight, Mel thought, it would not be surprising.

10. Correct the mistakes.

1. As we sailed up the River Hudson towards the city of New York and Brooklyn, we experienced a sensation.
2. Many people have tried to analyze this emotion, and I have read many such analysis.
3. The buildings stood out against the skyline like enormous box of matches stuck on end.
4. Ships bring cargoes from all over the world – cargoes of meat and potatos and mangos, of machine and toys and many other thing.
5. Armies of customs-official, port-authorities and others, came on board.
6. The first class passengers walked before the plane as oxes.
7. Most of the third class passenger stood waiting their turn as quiet as mice, though some were as noisy as a flock of geese.
8. The passengers carried their savings in knotted handkerchieves.
9. They seemed as bewildered as sheep, while their wives and children stared around as startled deers.
10. Public sanatorium are short of beds.

THE CATEGORY OF CASE

Case is a grammatical category which shows relation of the noun with other words in a sentence. It is expressed by the form of the noun.

English nouns have two cases: the common case and the genitive case. However, not all English nouns possess the category of case; there are certain nouns, mainly nouns denoting inanimate objects, which cannot be used in the genitive case.

The common case is unmarked, it has no inflexion (zero inflexion) and its meaning is very general.

The genitive case is marked by the apostrophe s (‘s).

The use of the genitive case

In writing there are two forms of the genitive: for most nouns it is ‘s (mother’s) and for nouns ending in -s and regular plural nouns only the apostrophe (mothers’).

In speech there are four ways of pronunciation of the genitive case.

1. [z] after vowels and voiced consonants: Negro’s, dog’s;

2. [s] after voiceless consonants: student’s;

3. [Iz] after sibilants: prince’s, judge’s;

4. zero endings: girls’, boys’.

1. Comment on the use of the Genitive Case.

1. Greg drove past Forester's house again. 2. Robin, it's my mother-in-law's seventieth birthday. 3. He took the train and arrived at his mother's at lunchtime. 4. Finding himself without cigarettes he dashed into a tobacconist's in Oxford Street. 5. John nodded and after a moment's pause went on. 6. The boys' toys were put into the box. 7. Before I understood, we turned out to be at the water's edge. 8. A chill smile played round Jack's smile. 9. They bought a loaf of white bread at the baker's. 10. The students' compositions left much to be desired.

2. Use the Absolute Genitive Case.

1. His eyes avoided the eyes of Andrew. 2. It was her job; not the job of old lady Winnie. 3. Gideon put his left hand, and took the hand of Kate. 4. I'm not going to the house of Caroline Kent at all. 5. After breakfast he went off to the house of Fleur.  

3. Replace the of-phrase by the noun in the Genitive Case where possible.

1. The new club of the workers. 2. The poems of Lermontov. 3. The clothes of the boys. 4. The walls of the room. 5. The plays of Shakespeare. 6. The voice of his sister. 7. The orders of the Commander-in-Chief. 8. The pages of the book. 9. The watch of my friend Peter. 10. The birthday of my daughter Helen. 11. The parents of all the other boys. 12. The boats of the fishermen. 13. The opinion of the lawyer. 14. The signature of Mr. Brown. 15. The offer of the seller. 16. The conclusions of the expert. 17. The house of my father-in-law.

4. Translate into Russian:

a baker's, a butcher's, a florist's, a pastry-cook's, a confectioner's, a chemist's, a tobacconist's.

5. Read each sentence and write a new sentence using 's with the underlined words.

Example: The meeting tomorrow has been cancelled.

               Tomorrow's meeting has been cancelled.

1. The storm last week caused a lot of damage.

2. The only cinema in the town has been closed down.

3. Exports from Britain to the United States have fallen recently.

4. Tourism is the main industry in the region. 

6. Complete the sentences using the given information.

Example: If I leave my house at 9 o'clock and drive to London, I arrive at about 12 o'clock. So it's about three hours' drive to London from my house.

1. I'm going on holiday on the 12th. I have to be back at work on the 26th.

So I've got ........................................__ holiday.

2. I went to sleep at 3 o'clock this morning and woke up an hour later at 4 o'clock.

So I only had ........................................ sleep.

3. If I leave my house at 8.50 and walk to work, I get to work at 9 o'clock.

So it's only ........................................__ walk from my house to work.

7. Correct or justify.

1. Jenny's car was there, and so was Robert's. 2. But what shall I do about this marriage of Val, Soames? 3. I saw him just now at your aunt. 4. His landlady was doing the week washing. 5. And so your wife is great friend of that Mr Bosinne's? 6. Jon handed the cigarettes. He lighted his father and Fleur's, then one for himself. 7. I am Mr. Wilkes sister. 8. Horror met his mother eyes. Nevil stood with his arm on Regan knee, and his eyes on his brother with a watchful expression. 9. Gavin turned his eyes on his brother. 10. What kind of girl was this wife of Jon's? 11. Ann has gone to the butchers'. 12. He looked attentively at the speaker shrewd, dry, doubting face. 13. We kept him at arms length. 14. A visit to Timothy was like an hour spent in the lap of a mother. 15. In a small pasty-cook they were served with tea and cakes. 16. She might know Kate first name. Kate is the friend of Greg's.

REVISION

1.Make nouns ending in necessary suffixes from the adjectives below. Place the following adjectives  under the correct heading depending on the suffix added.

A) -cy        B) -ity        C) -ness      D) -ence

1. punctual          2.dark                3. vacant

4. fluent              5. convenient     6. weak

7. special            8. private            9. confident

10. popular         11. efficient        12. similar

13. present         14. bitter             15. kind

16. foolish          17. frequent        18. constant

19. intelligent     20. stupid            21. different

22. sad                23. independent  24. urgent

25. ill                  26. equal             27. real  

28. silent

2.  Choose the correct word. (These pairs of words are often confused.)

1. Do you believe in the  ........................................__ that all men are equal?

A) principal                    B) principle

2. I need your ........................................__on this paper. Could you do it just now?

A) signature                    B) sign

3. It's 30 degrees in the shade. The ........................................__is unbearable.

A) hot                              B) heat

4. Did you tell anybody about your ?

A) lose                             B) loss

5. How long is it? You should be accurate with the ........................................__  .

A) measure                       B) measurement

6. Our holiday was spoiled by bad ........................................__.

A) weather                        B) whether

7. It doesn't matter. It's of no

A) important                     B) importance

8. What's the ........................................__of that building?

A) height                           B) high

9. If you want to speak English fluently, you need more English ........................................__ .

A) practice                         B) practise

10. It's not easy to operate this machine. We have great ........................................__ in doing it,

A) difficult                         B) difficulty

3. Which 10 words in the list below have mistakes (including spelling mistakes)? Write down the correct plural form of the words.

Knives, shelfs, roofs, tomatos, pianos, carrots, videos, loafs, thiefs, leafs, deers, postmans, heroes, safes, oxes, hives, potatoes, handkerchieves, woman-doctors, mothers-in-law.

4. Which 12 words in the list below have mistakes (including spelling mistakes)? Write down the correct plural form of the words.

boxes       places      horses         dishs

chairs       citys         keys           gooses

boots        mouths    classes         lives

armies      shoos       childrens    sheeps

watchs      men         womans     mouses

months     toothes     wolfs        wifes

5. Put the correct endings to plural forms.

1. The wood cutters used their (axe) to chop down the trees.

2. They need two more (chair) to sit on.

3. Why have you bought only two (kilo) of (potato)?

4. In the fall, the (leaf) begin to change colour.

5. All of the (bus) left at the same time.

6. The mayors of all neighbouring (city) are coming to greet guests.

7. For Christmas my parents gave my sisters (dress) and my brother and me  (watch).

8. (Library) are always open on (Tuesday).

9. The words " _" (monkey) (donkey) and have the same ending.

10. We send our best (wish) and many (kiss) to everybody.

6. Translate into English. Pay attention to the use of the Genitive Case.

1. У меня нет своего фотоаппарата. Это фотоаппарат моего брата. 2. Женский голос позади меня тихо произнес мое имя. 3. В сегодняшней газете есть статья Алекса о новой выставке в новом музее. 4. Он прошел через комнату секретарши, не глядя на нее. 5. Наступило минутное молчание. 6. Он пошел в аптеку. 7. Ее губы более подвижны, чем у других людей. 8. Кого вы встретили у моих родителей? 9. До ближайшего города около часа езды на машине. 10. Вчера я отдал свои часы часовщику. 11. У нас была пятиминутная беседа с преподавателем английского языка в деканате. 12. Я не могу забыть ответа Питера на экзамене.

The Article

The article is a form word that serves as a noun determiner. It is one of the main means of conveying the idea of definiteness and indefiniteness.

There are two articles in English: the definite article the [ði:] and the indefinite article a [ei].

Definiteness suggests that the object presented by the following noun is individualized and singled out from all the other objects of the same kind, whereas indefiniteness means a more general reference to an object.

The use of the indefinite article with countable nouns

As a rule a noun with the indefinite article is used with a person or a thing introduced for the first time. That shows that the reader (listener) doesn't know exactly what we are referring to.

I watched a car as it came up our road.  

There was a woman with a small dog at the window.

The main functions of the indefinite article are classifying, generic and numerical.

The use of the definite article with countable nouns

The two main functions of the definite article are specifying and generic.

1. Use the proper article. Explain the choice and comment on the function of the article.

1. I usually smoke .......... cigarettes or .......... pipe. My father smokes .......... cigars. 2. Give me .......... match, please. 3. Are there .......... matches in that box? 4. Is there .......... bookshop in this street? I want to buy .......... books. 5. .......... watchmaker repairs ..........watches and .......... clocks. 6. There is .......... sofa and .......... armchairs in this room. 7. Did you buy .......... boots or .......... shoes? 8. Mr Brown is .......... accountant. 9. Peter is .......... architect; his two brothers are .......... engineers. 10. There are .......... books and .......... magazines on the table. 11. Which would you like .......... apple or .......... orange? 12. Which would you like .......... apples or .......... oranges? 13. Please give me .......... pen and .......... coloured pencils. 14. Is there .......... letter for me? 15. Are there .......... letters for me? 16. What .......... strange man! 17. What .......... interesting books!

2. Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article in the grammatical structures.

1. Benton was .......... pretty little village with .......... definite character of its own. 2. How long have you been .......... secretary? 3. It was .......... lovely landscape. It was idyllic, poetical and it inspired me. 4. "I am .......... sportsman," I said. "Rolling is my favourite sport." 5. This is .......... terrible thing for you, my poor child. 6. To look at Montmorency you would imagine that he was .......... angel sent upon ..........earth. 7. She was .......... small woman, .......... little shorter than Roy and considerably thinner. 8. I am .......... old man who is afraid of no one. 9. .......... town of Windsor is .......... typically English town. 10. He was .......... pretty baby and then .......... good-looking child. 11. Jan's hand between his was .......... anchor holding him steady in ..........world they had built together. 12. Every time I meet you you're .......... different person. - That's probably because you're .......... different person too. 13. It is ..........  exceedingly bad little painting. One of .......... worst I have ever seen. 14. She is .......... most honest person I think I've ever met. 15. When Doctor Lewellyn retires I might be .......... head doctor in his place. 16. That was .......... warmly carpeted, restful, sunny room with .......... superb view of .......... river. 17. I think it is .......... place I will choose. 18. .......... human being is .......... wonderful thing. 19. I was .......... editor of our college paper.

3. Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article with the noun in apposition.

1. After my mother died, my father, .......... travelling man, sent me to live with his cousins. 2. Sometimes Herbert, .......... big boy of sixteen now, would challenge another kite-flyer. 3. Hautin, .......... lawyer by profession, had business dealings in the town. 4. Maidenhead, .......... river resort, is one of .......... loveliest reaches of the Thames. 5. Here is Doctor Sheppard, .......... close friend of poor Roger's. 6. Hopkin's car, .......... black Cadillac five years old, was driven by .......... ageing Negro chauffeur. 7. I've arranged for you  to call tomorrow on a friend of his, .......... .8. They lived in Lynton, .......... small village in Devonshire. 9. On .......... way across .......... river he chatted to .......... boatman, .......... local man. 10. Then .......... second case came in, woman of forty-five, Miss Basden, one of .......... most faithful of his followers.

4. Use the proper article. Explain the choice and comment on the function of the article.

1. Has .......... postman come yet? I am expecting .......... letter from my father. 2. .......... captain ordered .......... crew to unload .......... vessel. 3. My brother can drive .......... car. 4. I got .......... interesting book from our library. .......... librarian said that I could keep it for .......... week as .......... teacher of English also wanted it. 5. How can you say such .......... things? 6. There is .......... meeting in .......... conference hall this evening. 7. When .......... moon passes between .......... earth and .......... sun, .......... eclipse results. 8. There is .......... red book and .......... green book on .......... table in .......... dining room. Will you bring me .......... green one, please? 9. Can you tell me how to get to .......... theatre? Go straight down .......... street until you come to .......... bridge. Then turn to .......... right and you will see .......... large white building. That is .......... theatre. 10. He brought .......... books from .......... library. 11 .......... department store is .......... shop where all kinds of .......... things are sold. 12. I know .......... students of that institute. Have you got .......... fountain pen? 13. I want to write .......... letter to my sister. 14. How brilliantly .......... stars shine! 15. .......... low stone wall separated .......... house from .......... road. 16. He asked .......... teacher .......... question. 17. He received .......... letters from Moscow yesterday. 18. Are there .......... pictures in this magazine? 19. He is reading "An American Tragedy", .......... novel by Theodore Dreiser. 20. .......... door opened and .......... man entered .......... room. He was .......... man of about 50 years of age. 21. .......... lion is .......... large powerful animal. 22. There are many schools for .......... blind in our country. 23. Petrov, .......... captain of ..........ship "Minsk" is .......... very good seaman. 

5. Use the proper article where necessary.

1. She smiled .......... smile was perhaps ..........result of .......... long practice; she hardly moved her mouth. 2. My clothes were my Sunday best: .......... light grey suit, .......... plain grey tie, .......... plain grey socks and .......... brown shoes. .......... shoes were the most expensive I'd ever possessed. 3. It was so nice of you to buy these books for me. I gathered up .......... heavy volumes and looked round for somewhere to put them. 4. It was Ashley's birthday and Melanie gave him .......... a surprise reception that night. Everyone knew about .......... reception, except Ashley. 5. Mr Polteed unlocked .......... drawer, produced .......... memorandum, ran his eyes over it, and locked .......... drawer up again. 6. "Bring .......... bottle of Scotch and .......... ice bucket for Mr Hopkings," Helen said. After .......... maid had brought .......... bottle of Scotch and .......... ice bucket, Hopkins filled his glass and took .......... long drink.

6. Use the proper article. Define the attributes (restrictive or descriptive) the nouns are used with.

1. I cannot find .......... letter which you gave me this morning. 2. Yesterday I spoke to .......... man who had just returned from .......... Arctic expedition. 3. .......... clock in ..........  hall is slow. 4. I have received .......... letter of great importance. 5. They were standing on .......... the top of .......... hill. 6. .......... vessels driven by .......... Diesel engines are gradually replacing .......... coal burning ships. 7. I have bought  .......... overcoat with .......... fur collar. 8. They have sold .......... cargo of 5,000 tons of  ..........wheat. 9. .......... goods sold on c. f. f. terms must be insured by .......... seller at his expense. 10. He lives in .......... house opposite .......... station. 11. ..........   magazine which you lent me is very interesting. 12. This is ..........  picture which you will like. 13. ..........  dog, which was running with .......... large piece of .......... meat which he had stolen, came to .......... stream, over which there was .......... little bridge. 14. Yesterday I met  .......... old friend, whom I recognized at once. 15. .......... garden which is at .......... back of that house has .......... tennis-court. 16. Here is .......... book you need. 17. He is .......... man whom we all admire. 18. This morning .......... postman brought me .......... letter without .......... stamp. 19. You can buy this book in .......... bookshop round the corner. 20. I know  .......... man who lives in  .......... house where you live. 21. ..........  man who has no patience cannot play chess well. 22. Is that .......... man whom they are looking for? 23. My son has .......... very good German teacher, who knows .......... language perfectly. 24.  Is that .......... man you spoke to yesterday? 25. ..........  large branch broken by .......... wind lay across our path.  26. .......... street which leads to .......... theatre is very wide. 27. .......... person who is sitting next to me is .......... famous painter.

7. Use the proper article.  Pay attention to the nouns with attributes.

1. Her brother belonged to .......... same club we did. 2. That's .......... rarest occurrence I ever saw in my life. 3. .......... attempt to persuade them left him exhausted. 4. In .......... corner of .......... room was .......... wash-basin with .......... hot and cold water. 5. .......... thought of Medhurst went out of his mind swiftly. 6. He laid his hand upon .......... chair, which stood in .......... middle of .......... room. 7. He took .......... cigarette that I had carefully rolled up for myself and went. 8. He was .......... most extraordinary lad I ever came across. 9. .......... news he had conveyed would have horrified .......... most women. 10. She looked with .......... eager hungry eyes at .......... bread, ..........meat and .......... beer that .......... landlady brought. 11. I picked up .......... morning paper which had fallen from my hand and resumed my perusal of .......... morning news. 12. I had .......... privilege of meeting your mother and dad there. 13. " I like you," he said. It was .......... very strange remark and  .......... old pipe I was smoking fell on .......... floor. 14. At half past nine .......... last patient left .......... surgery. 15. It was .......... most successful party I had ever attended. 16. .......... thrill of that moment was unbelievable. 17. Anyway it was .......... Saturday of .......... football game with Saxon Hall. 18. I asked .......... question I feared to ask. 19. I took .......... bottle I wanted and went off with it.  

8. Translate from Russian into English. Pay attention to the use of the articles.

1. Я познакомился с ним в одном маленьком южном городе. 2. Какой-то человек ждет вас в фойе. 3. Кто принес вам это письмо? - Какщй-то мальчик. 4. Кто эта женщина? - Она жена одного инженера, который работает на нашем заводе. 5. Вчера я разговаривал с директором, который обещал помочь мне решить этот вопрос. 6. Он родился в маленьком городке, который находится не далеко от Москвы. 7. Рассказ, который я только что прочитал, очень интересный. 8. Они такие образованные люди! 9. Я не помню цифр, которые он упомянул в своем докладе. 10. Человек, который хочет овладеть иностранным языком, должен работать систематически усердно. 11. Ребенку легко изучать иностранный язык. 12. Дом, в котором мы жили летом, был окружен огромным садом. 13. Люди, занимающиеся спортом, как правило, здоровые. 14. Когда дверь открылась, в комнату вошел человек с большим черным чемоданом. 15. Это такой интересный рассказ!

9. Complete the sentences below using the with these words. Translate the sentences. Explain the use of the definite article.

blind    dead    disabled   poor   rich   unemployed

1. It is said that we should never speak ill of .......... .

2. Buildings should be specially designed so they can be used by .......... .

3. It is only fair that .......... should pay higher taxes than .......... .

4. In St John's Park there is a special garden for .......... with strongly scented flowers.

5. Life is bound to be difficult for .......... .

10. Correct the mistakes.

1. A garden which is at the back of that house has a tennis-court.
2. I usually smoke cigarettes or pipe. My father smokes  cigars.
3. The person who is sitting next to me is famous painter.
4. Give me the match, please.
5. Is there a bookshop in this street? I want to buy the books.
6. The watchmaker repairs watches and  clocks.
7. There is a sofa and an armchairs in this room.
8. Mr. Smith is architect; his two brothers are engineers.
9. Which would you like: the apple or the orange.
10. Will you please give me a pen and a sheets of paper.
11. What the strange man!
12. What the interesting books!
13. Has postman come yet? I am expecting letter from my father.
14. I got the interesting book from our library. The librarian said I could keep it only for the week.
15. There is a red book and  green book on the table in dining room. Will you bring me green one, please?
16. Department store is the shop where all kinds of things are sold.
17. He is reading “An American Tragedy”, novel by Theodore Dreiser.
18. She was wearing the black skirt and bright red blouse of very fine poplin.
19. There are many schools for blind in the our country.
20.  Johnson, captain of a ship “Venus”, is very good seaman.

The use of articles with uncountable nouns

1. Explain the use of articles with uncountable abstract nouns in the following sentences.

1. His face had a calmness that was new to her.

2. However, I don't propose to discuss politics, sociology or metaphysics with you.

3. An instinctive kindness made him want to protect Gorin.

4. The rest of the meeting passed without interruption.

5. "Yes, the dilemma we're in is of the greatest importance," said Paine.

6. He had been brought up to admire French culture.

7. Hospitality was a passion with him.

8. The ownership of the land was less important to him than the work he had put into it.

9. She anticipated the time when they would begin the life which she was sure would give her at last happiness.

10. Antony read the book with the most passionate attention.

2. Use the proper article where necessary. Explain your choice.

1. .......... iron is .......... metal. 2. .......... iron ore found in that mine is of high quality. 3. Please cut .......... grass in the garden. 4. Pour .......... milk into the cup, please. 5. .......... milk which you bought in the morning has turned sour. 6. We make .......... butter and .......... cheese from .......... milk. 7. ..........tea is hot, I must put .......... milk in it. 8. .......... coal is one of .......... most important natural resources of our country. 9. .......... most common kind of .......... fuel used by man is .......... wood. 10. Put .......... wood on .......... fire. 11. .......... silver is not so heavy as  .......... gold. 12. Buy .......... tobacco, please. 13. Pass me .......... sugar, please. 14. .......... windows let in .......... air and .......... light. 15. .......... garden is surrounded by .......... wall built of .......... stone. 16. In .......... desert it is difficult to find .......... water. 17. .......... water which we drink in our towns is filtered at .......... waterworks. 18. This district is rich in .......... coal. 19. Is your shirt made of .......... silk or .......... cotton? 20. This is .......... bronze, not .......... copper. 21. I don't want .......... milk, give me .......... tea, please. 22. I always drink .......... boiled water. 23. Bring me .......... hot water, please. 24. Have you bought .......... butter?

3.Use the proper article where necessary. Explain your choice.

1. He went back home with .......... bitterness he had never heard before. 2. This thought gave him .......... immense satisfaction. 3. She thought that Francis would give .......... happiness Guy couldn't. 4. When I received the invitation I felt .......... certain curiosity. 5. I feel .......... real fear as I watch Robert suffering. 6. I had .......... terrible youth though my father was .......... great man. 7. He spoke of it with .......... boyish eagerness. 8. His confession forced upon me .......... truth that I had never permitted myself to see. 9. He enjoyed .......... warmth of her approval. 10. He sometimes referred to his daughter's marriage with .......... gloom. 11. A look of .......... joy came into his eyes. 12. .......... humour teaches .......... tolerance. 13. I had .......... greatest admiration for Racine. 14. He was sorry to leave his friend in .......... poverty. 15. .......... weather was so warm that we decided to go swimming.

4. Use the proper article where necessary, paying special attention to uncountable nouns.  Explain your choice.

1. .......... mud was drying rapidly, but .......... car was still stuck. 2. On the travel he drank .......... tea, but in the cabin it was .......... thick coffee with sugar and .......... tinned milk. 3. .......... equipment from .......... wrecked plane has to be saved. 4. .......... boss took up .......... pen, picked .......... fly out of .......... ink, and shook it on to .......... piece of .......... blotting paper. 5. "I knit them myself," I heard .......... woman say, "of .......... thick grey wool." 6. Father, at .......... head of .......... table, began to slice  .......... hot meat. 7. I noticed Baron take .......... three lumps of .......... sugar, putting two in his cup and wrapping .......... third in .......... corner of his handkerchief. 8. She's been to Oxford and she's taken her degree in .......... economics. 9. Oh, I don't like .......... tea, I'll have .......... lemonade instead. 10. She was still warm with .......... memory of Milly's pancakes and .......... coffee which had been served with .......... real cream.

5. Translate from Russian into English. Pay attention to the use of the articles.

1. Я попросил купить его бумаги и чернил. 2. Дайте, пожалуйста, молока. 3. Вскипятите молоко, пожалуйста. 4. Молоко необходимо детям. 5. Где масло? - Оно на столе. 6. Куда вы положили сахар, который вы купили вчера? 7. Вода в этом пруду очень чистая. 8. В этом районе добывается уголь и нефть. 9. Я вчера купил хорошего чаю и кофе. Я пошлю кофе матери. Она очень любит хороший кофе. 10. Знание - сила. 11. К радости своих друзей он очень быстро выздоровел.  12. Эта телеграмма вызвала волнение. 13. Он открыл письмо с волнением, которого он не мог скрыть. 14. Он посетил разрешение посетить этот завод. 15. Мне нравиться музыка этого балета.

6. Correct the mistakes.

1. Landscape was flat and covered with snow frozen hard.
2. He munched the sandwich with neurotic violence.
3. This is a story and not a piece of the history.
4. But I won’t have a cup of tea. I’ll have coffee.
5. He spoke with the enthusiasm which inspired us all.
6. He told himself it was a stupid case of an injured pride.
7. Only the champagne was served at the ball.
8. He came in with  three cups of a black coffee.
9. She had mature distrust of the trivial.
10. She stirred melting sugar with a spoon.
11. Barber went to bar and ordered a coffee, then changed it to brandy because the coffee wasn’t enough after a talk like this.
12. James asked for the water and drank it thirstily.
13. Men moved heavily as though they were walking in a thick mud.
14.  Dinner began in the silence. In the silence soup was finished. It was the excellent soup, though a little thick. And fish was brought. Then the maid brought a champagne.
15. Monty and I drank beer.
16. This thought gave him immense satisfaction.
17. I felt malicious delight at the absurdity of his position.
18. Ancient jealousy invaded his heart.
19. There was quick, startled wonder in his eyes.
20. He was ashamed of harshness that leapt to his tongue.  

The Use of Articles with Proper Nouns

Geographical Names

Names of Persons

Articles in the Names of places, Some Buildings, Public Organizations, etc.

1. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with water recouses.

2. Use the proper article where necessary.

Interesting facts about waterspaces

1. .......... BermudaTriangle is located in .......... Atlantic Ocean.
2. The longest river of the world is .......... Nile River.
3. The lowest lake of the world is .......... Dead Sea, the deepest lake is .......... Lake Baikal, the longest lake is .......... Tanganyika.
4. .......... Lake Superior is the largest of .......... Great Lakes.
5. In .......... Atlantic Ocean, .......... American Mediterranean Sea is the combination of the seas of .......... Gulf of Mexico and .......... Caribbean Sea.
6. .......... Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. ..........Tugela Falls is the world’s second tallest. Europe’s highest waterfall is .......... Utigard in Norway.

3. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with the names of countries.

3. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with the names of continents.

3. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with the names of cities.

4. Complete the sentences using the proper article.

1. During our unforgettable tour across .......... Europe we visited many countries: .......... France, .......... Belgium and .......... Netherlands in .......... Western Europe; .......... Spain and .......... Italy in ..........Southern Europe; .......... Poland and ..........Belarus in .......... Eastern Europe.
2. The country I liked most of all was .......... amazing Italy. I got to know much about its history and culture. During the numerous excursions, I learned that .......... Medieval Italy was a real center of art.
3. The capital city of .......... Italy is ..........Rome. It is a city that is full of history. Walking in its streets you can easily imagine .......... Rome of ancient times, because there are a lot of historical evidence of those times.
4. .......... Rome of today is a modern beautiful city with charming and hospitable inhabitants and a lot of tourists that are eager to do the sightseeing and to visit .......... Vatican.
5. Next year I want to visit .......... South America and to .......... Buenos Aires in .......... Argentine.  

5. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with the names of islands.

6. Complete the sentences using the proper article.

1. .......... Island of Madeira is historically Portuguese territory.
2. .......... Arctic Archipelago extends from Canada to the northernmost of .......... Ellesmere Island.
3. A journey to .......... Greenland may appear to be unbelievably interesting.
4. .......... Virgin Islands, also known as .......... British Virgin Islands  or ..........BVI, is a British territory to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up considerable part of .......... Virgin Islands archipelago; the remaining islands make up .......... US Virgin Islands and .......... Spanish Virgin Islands.
5. .......... Borneo is situated in the waters of the South China Sea

7. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with the names of mountains.

8. Complete the sentences using the proper article.

1. .......... Himalayan range is home to the highest peaks, including .......... Mount Everest. .......... Himalayas include more than a hundred mountains exceeding 7,200 metres. By contrast, the highest peak outside Asia – .......... Aconcagua, in .......... Andes – is 6,961 metres tall.
2. .......... Bakanovi volcano is an already extinct volcano situated 16 km east of .......... Bagana volcano.
3. .......... Victory Peak is a mountain in.......... eastern Kakshaal  Range of .......... Tien Shan.
4. .......... Chogori is the highest mountain peak in .......... Karakoram range. .......... Mt. Chogori rises to 8,611 m and is the second highest mountain in the world after .......... Chomolungma.

9. Complete the sentences using the proper article paying attention to the use of the articles with the points of the compass and parts of the world.

1. .......... North Pole is also known as .......... Geographic North Pole or ..........Terrestrial North Pole It is defined as the point in .......... Northern Hemisphere where .......... Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. Don’t confuse it with .......... North Magnetic Pole.
2. ..........East is one of the four compass points. It is the opposite of ..........west and is perpendicular to.......... north and ..........south.
3. We went from .......... East to ..........West
4. .......... North Pole lies diametrically opposite .......... South Pole
5. My dwelling is in .......... South of the country.
6. Go straight .......... north.

10. Comment on the use of the articles with personal names.

1. There was a Manson at Queens with me in eighteen eighty. 2. This was not the Beatrice he knew. 3. Old Jolyon had little Holly on the knees, she had taken possession of his watch. 4. Many years ago I made the acquaintance of a certain Mr William Legrand. 5. Do you know Rosemary? - Rosemary? The only Rosemary I know is Rosemary Paine. 6. A Forsyte is not an uncommon animal. There are hundreds among the members of this Club. 7. This man doesn't know a Rubens from a Rembrandt. 8. The Dobsons were a very respectable family.

11. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with personal names.

1. This Pat was not at all like .......... Pat of his memories. 2. He was not .......... Maxim I had first met, not the stranger who sat alone at the table in the restaurant. 3. Pardon, but could you tell me if .......... Mr and Mrs Robinson reside here? 4. ".......... Mrs Duncaster who's dead," said Walter, "is she the one I know?" 5. .......... Gloria at twenty-six was still .......... Gloria of twenty. 6. .......... Jacksons live in that lovely cottage with a fantastic garden. 7. .......... poor Tom has no harm in repeating those absurd stories. 8. Next day I saw .......... Smiths off at the airport. 9. .......... Bradley who settled here was what I suppose you might call a farmer. 10. .......... Bradleys are one of the oldest families in Illinois. 11. .......... Mr March spoke too loudly, even for .......... March. 12. " It sounds funny," remarked .......... polite Lanny. 13. .......... Bert Smith had .......... Citroen, and he drove swiftly and well. 14. .......... Charley was distressed. This was not .......... Simon he had known so long. 15. One day he was taken by .......... friend to .......... party given by .......... certain Mrs Lambeth.

12. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay attention to the use of the articles with names of organisations.

1. Mr Robinson arrived at .......... London Airport from .......... New York on his way to .......... Crimea. 2. Usually he read few articles out of .......... "Time" or .......... "Newsweek". 3. He studied at .......... University of Berlin. 4. Soon after that he was expelled from .......... Harvard University. 5. .......... "Friedrich Weber" was a freighter sailing from .......... Hamburg to .......... Colombo. 6. On their way to .......... Savoy Hotel he refused to tell Tom what would happen. 7. .......... liner "Queen Elisabeth" sails at 8 am this morning. 8. There's a good film at .......... Regal Cinema this week. 9. .......... Harrods is a huge department store near .......... Kensington Gardens. 10. .......... Tate Gallery is quite far from .......... Science Museum, so you'd better take a bus. 11. .......... Odeon cinema is in .......... Appleton Street just past .......... library. 12. The supermarket is in .......... Kendell Street opposite .......... Lloyds Bank.

13. Correct the mistakes.

1. Tower of London is a popular tourist attraction.
2. Newcastle is a town in the north of the England.
3. Princess lives in a palace in London.
4. The Buckingham palace is where the Queen of England officially lives.
5. She bought the expensive necklace at Harrods.
6. They went for stroll around St. James’s  Park.
7. The Supermarket is in Kendell Street opposite the Lloyds Bank.
8. The hotel where they held their weeding reception was called Grand Hotel.
9. Anna was born in Netherlands but she lives in the USA now.
10. The Browns live on outskirts of town.

1. His favourite newspaper is the Guardian.
2. Gatwick Airport is in the southern England.
3. Duchess of York opened new hospital in the center of London.
4. He went on very expensive holiday to Bahamas.
5. The Statue of Liberty is in New York.
6. National Park was opened the last week by the mayor.
7. The expedition to South Pole needs a lot of careful planning.
8. Odeon cinema is in Appleton Street just past a library.
9. I spent the last summer on island of Crete.
10. British Prime Minister lives in the Downing Street, 10.

Special difficulties in the use of articles

The use of the articles with nouns denoting  months, days, seasons, meals and  parts of the day

1. Explain the use of articles with nouns denoting parts of the day:

1. It was almost noon.

2."Lewis! What are you doing at this time or night?" I heard the well-known voice.

3. I sat all night reading.

4. On the evening of the departure the whole village turned out to give us the promised farewell dinner.

5. Toward midnight he saw the gleam of many lights.

6. Twilight was falling when they came back to the great city.

7. At ten o' clock on a hot September evening he strolled  idly down the street.

8. And in the afternoon I used to lie alone, and watch the sun get lower and lower.

9. He always slept late on Sunday morning.

10. It was not a warm afternoon.

11. The day was hot and muddy.

2. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay special attention to the use of the articles with nouns indicating parts of the day.

1. It was .......... nearly morning when .......... train pulled into .......... station. 2. it was .......... Saturday morning, and .......... weekend guests were coming. 3. We got back to .......... inn as .......... night was falling. 4. I paid my first visit to them on .......... clear cold February night. 5. As he drove me home through .......... June dusk, James suddenly told me that he had left his wife. 6. He pulled aside each curtain to make sure that .......... window behind it was latched for .......... night. 7. It was a little after seven on .......... summer morning. 8. I'll tell you all about it .......... next night. 9. Surely nothing could be going on there so late at .......... night. 10. .......... last evening the sirens went again. 11. It was .......... hot August morning and i tried to beg myself off. 12. .......... evening flowed on. I sat working .......... late summer twilight.

3. Explain the use of articles with nouns denoting seasons.

1. The winter was coming on.

2. It was a warm and glowing autumn, and she lay in the mellow sunshine.

3. I think the country in winter would be horrible, don't you?

4. The summer was here with its bright, short night.

5. "It has been a terrible summer," he said.

6. It was late  summer.

7. We had a short summer this year.

8. In March came the first break in the winter.

9. To walk in the garden and watch in the spring returning was like rediscovering the world.

10. She went to Scotland for the summer.

4. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay special attention to the use of the articles with nouns indicating seasons.

1. Quite early in .......... autumn he began visiting us two and three times each week. 2. As .......... autumn passed, I saw a good deal of Charles and Ann together. 3. He walked along .......... streets smelling .......... spring in .......... air. 4. During .......... winter I had heard a rumour that she was abroad. 5. They must have met in .......... summer. 6. "Can't you wait until .......... winter?" Sam asked. 7. In .......... autumn .......... young Ben was to go away to a prep school and my job would be ended. 8. It was .......... cold summer of 1953. 9. .......... house must be cold in .......... winter. 10. Isn't it nice that .......... winter is behind us?

5. Explain the use of articles with nouns denoting meals.

1. Lunch was ready and we went in.

2. I'm sorry I can't offer you dinner.

3. I'll try to give you  a decent lunch.

4. After a light lunch everyone relaxed for a time.

5. I was having tea with her.

6. I want you to have a nice breakfast.

7. I was on my way to make final arrangements about a dinner I was giving that evening.

8. He ordered a modest dinner.

9. Mother told me to go out and buy some eggs for lunch.

10. Charles and I were alone at supper.  

6. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay special attention to the use of the articles with nouns denoting meals.

1. He said he would have .......... very good dinner on .......... train. 2. Hudson talked more during .......... dinner than usual. 3. So after I had finished .......... supper I came .......... passage to .......... empty dark front room. 4. He was afraid he would be late for .......... lunch. 5. He was giving .......... big lunch on .......... following day. 6. I parked in front of  .......... restaurant near .......... road and went in for .......... cold lunch. 7. "Nevil is coming to .......... dinner," she added. 8. "For .......... breakfast," she said, "we could have .......... cold meat, .......... tea, .......... bread and butter, and .......... jam." 9. They got .......... hearty breakfast from .......... crew. 10. That's .......... best dinner I've had for years. 11. I've got .......... lecture at nine, so I want .......... breakfast at .......... quarter past eight. 12. .......... breakfast was orange juice and cornflakes with milk.

7. Use the proper article where necessary. Pay special attention to the use of the articles with nouns denoting months and days of the week.

1. She starts working  on .......... Monday .......... next week. 2. I last saw her in town earlier in the year. 3. I'm sure it was .......... Monday, because that's when I go shopping, but I can't remember the exact date. 4. They phoned on .......... Monday before the accident. 5. The race is always held in .......... June. 6. We last saw Dave .......... June your mother was staying with us. 7. Even though it was .......... March, the weather reminded me of ..........hot June day. 8. .......... December is .......... first winter month. 9. They met on .......... Tuesday when Philip got his first medal. 10. It happened on .......... September of 1998.

8. Correct the mistakes.

1. It was nearly a midnight, and Margaret rose to go.
2. Outside was cold drizzling twilight.
3. Substantial tea was laid on the table.
4. It was grey, cold day. By nightfall, it would rain.
5. Charles was in a hurry to get back home by the midnight.
6. The lunch was finished and soon I left.
7. On a Sunday morning the weather was showery.
8. All night the snow fell.
9. She made a long telephone call from the lobby and ate quick lunch.
10. It was a late afternoon and their shadows lay long across the road.
11. It was a summer afternoon, last day of the Bar final examination.
12. It was first day of the summer.
13. It was remarkably fine autumn.
14. The spring came early that year.
15. It was a brilliant summer of 1971.
16. In a morning, grey and dark, we sat over our breakfast.
17. It was a summer and place broke out in  red flowers.
18. His secretary said that Kevin was free in evening.
19. He went out shooting an every morning in autumn.
20. I paid my first visit to his house on clear February night.

The use of articles with nouns school/college, university, prison/jail, bed, town, country, church, hospital

1. Use the proper article. Pay special attention to the use of the article with the nouns bed, school, town, hospital, church

a) 1. She went up to .......... bed and took her sleeping child. 2. I saw .......... bed made up for me, and place .......... candle on .......... old-fashioned chest of drawers. 3. He sprang out of .......... bed, had .......... cold bath and then had another look at .......... watch. 4. I found .......... edge of .......... bed in .......... dark and sat down on it and started putting on my shoes. 5. He hasn't been to .......... bed all night. 6. When he went to .......... bed he kept his thoughts on her. 7. She went into .......... little dark room - her room was like .......... cupboard - and sat down on .......... bed. 8. Jan lay in .......... narrow hospital bed and tried to adjust herself to her new surroundings.

b) 1. He and his daughters walked up .......... steps of .......... school and entered .......... narrow high-ceiling hall. 2. It was ridiculous to feel that he had to send his children to .......... private school. 3. They had two children, one of them still at .......... school, .......... other in her first year at .......... university. 4. I must get used to getting up early. When I get home there will be my little girl to get ready for .......... school. 5. Under normal circumstances you would have become .......... head boy of .......... school. 6. Then .......... day came when I had to go back to .......... school. 7. Richard's grandfather insisted that he should attend .......... law school, following .......... family tradition. 8. When he was thirteen, he was sent to .......... High school in the Country Town.

c) 1. When we get back to .......... town we'll get .......... doctor to see your throat. 2. "If I met you on .......... beach at .......... midnight in that green get-up, I'd swear you were .......... mermaid come to .......... town." - " .......... mermaids don't come to  .......... town," she said laughing. 3. He looked clean and brushed; he was going to .......... town for .......... day. 4. .......... Post Office clock was just striking seven, when we drove out of town and took .......... sea-coast road. 5. We could hear .......... voices of .......... men from .......... town, talking loudly together. 6. They were chasing round .......... town while she waited for them. 7. You see, Chris, even in quite .......... small provincial town you could have .......... clinic.

d) 1. I can arrange for her to go along to .......... public hospital. 2. If she goes to .......... hospital now for some treatment and then on to .......... sanatorium it ought to be quite all right. 3. Bart made his way carefully up .......... red concrete path from .......... hospital. 4. She wanted to assure him that everything was perfect here in .......... hospital to which he had sent her, and for which he was paying. 5. I am only in .......... hospital for four weeks. When I am out of here, I won't think of it. 6. So long as I live no one will ever make me go into .......... hospital like this again. 7. Miss Blakeley needs a great deal of extra attention. But this is .......... sanatorium, not .......... hospital. We don't expect to have to nurse .......... patients. 8. She had .......... comfortable room  at .......... hospital. 9. He reached .......... hospital, parked his car and went up to .......... ward.

e) St. Peter's is .......... church often chosen by .......... fashionable people for .......... funerals and .......... weddings. 2. They stood for .......... moment, then all together slowly moved towards ..........church. 3. "Do you go to .......... church?" "Occasionally." 4. I could see from .......... car .......... church on .......... sharply rising slope. 5. About half past ten .......... cracked bell of .......... small church began to ring. 6. They rode in .......... silence for .......... moment, .......... church disappearing behind them. 7. "Bertie," she said to my father, " I shall go to .......... church this morning." 8. She was dressed for .......... church.

f)  1. The four members of the gang were sent to .......... prison. 2. Their wives drove together to .......... prison every week to visit their husbands. 3. Not many people go to .......... church regularly nowadays. 4. I saw some tourists walking to ..........church last week, but they only wanted to take photos of it. 5. A group of people came out of .......... cinema, crossed the road and went into .......... pub. 6. When my father was ill and had to go to .......... hospital, my sister went with him in the ambulance. 7. She's a doctor, and she works at ..........hospital. 8. Mark has always known what he wanted to do in life. After leaving .......... school, he took a course in business studies at .......... college.

2. Correct the mistakes.

1. Then he carefully placed the money on  bed.
2. Paula taught  Greek and Latin at  local school.
3. They rode in  silence for a moment, church disappearing behind them.
4. They were discussing it after the supper, when the children were in bed.
5. After  lunch Dr. Raily went off to hospital.
6. The room was in a darkness. I dimly perceived bed in the corner.
7. His brother has been to a prison twice for robbery.
8. They had hospital in the town during the war.
9. The doctor shrugged his shoulders and sat down beside bed.
10. This talk went on throughout their drive back to school.
11. He was in the hospital for few weeks, and came back more moody than ever.
12. She was dressed for church.
13. I’ll drive you to the town this morning.
14. They decided to spend summer in the sea-side town.
15. There is a concert at university tonight.
16. How many people go to the university in your country?
17. In morning I went as usual to school.
18. He worked hard and often got out of a bed at the night to make sure that he had written a point down.
19. I pushed off the bedclothes and sat on the side of a bed.
20. All over world, people are in a prison because of their political views.

Revision

1. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

1. I’d like .......... chicken sandwich and .......... glass of .......... mineral water.
2. Would you like .......... banana or .......... strawberries?  
3. She always has .......... apple, .......... toast and .......... cup of .......... coffee for .......... breakfast.
4. The fly is on .......... ceiling in .......... kitchen.
5. My mother is .......... accountant and my father is .......... lawyer.
6. They work in .......... same company in .......... centre of .......... our town.
7. How much are .......... her Italian lessons? – Ten dollars .......... hour.
8. Where are .......... dogs? – They are in .......... garden.
9. .......... cats like eating .......... fish.  .......... cows like eating .......... grass.  .......... birds like eating .......... insects.
10. My favourite subjects are .......... chemistry and .......... biology.
11. There is .......... parrot in .......... cage. And there are .......... pieces of .......... fruit in it.
12. My granny lives in .......... small village in .......... country.
13. Your baby shouldn’t sit in .......... sun on .......... hot day.
14. Please open .......... book.  .......... exercise is on .......... page 68.
15. Ann has been looking for .......... job for .......... long time.
16. What’s .......... matter? - I missed .......... 6 o’clock train.
17. Do you like .......... vegetables?
18. .......... mother has got .......... terrible headache today.
19. There were .......... tears in .......... her eyes.
20. She is .......... very nice woman but her sons are .......... bad boys.
21. Look at .......... woman. She is .......... neighbor I told you about.

2. Use the proper article if necessary.

3. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

1. Yesterday I bought .......... pair of .......... shoes. Unfortunately .......... shoes are too tight.
2. We had .......... dinner in .......... restaurant .......... last night. – What is .......... name of .......... restaurant?
3. Tony has two children: .......... boy and .......... girl. They are .......... twins.  .......... girl is in .......... France now.
4. Would you like another piece of .......... cake? – No, .......... cake is too fat for me.
5. His office is on .......... Floor 5. And I live on .......... tenth floor.
6. Little Mike leaves for .......... school very early because .......... school is quite far from .......... his home.
7. Lara saw .......... letter under .......... door. She read .......... letter and started crying.
8. Did you enjoy .......... food at .......... party .......... last Friday?
9. Roger is .......... scientist, he works for .......... government.
10. We go to .......... gym twice .......... week.

4. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

1. I come to .......... work by .......... bus. Today .......... bus was a bit late.
2. .......... Jack is .......... youngest but .......... cleverest boy at .......... school.
3. It rained, so I stayed at .......... home in .......... evening. But today .......... sun is shining brightly in .......... sky.
4. On .......... Monday .......... kids were tired and they went to .......... bed very early.
5. My wife is .......... best woman in .......... world and I’m .......... happiest husband!
6. They are having .......... test on .......... third of December.
7. What .......... beautiful painting! .......... artist is such .......... talented person.
8. Robin Hood robbed .......... rich and helped .......... poor.
9. David is .......... old friend of mine. He plays .......... guitar perfectly. His sister has been playing .......... tennis since .......... age of ten.
10. Sam used .......... drugs and was sent to .......... prison in .......... August. What .......... shame!
11. .......... Harrisons are not religious and they never go to .......... church.
12. He has been in .......... hospital for .......... month.
13. .......... English are very fond of .......... gardening.
14. I’ve tried to learn .......... Japanese many times.
15. She is .......... famous actress and she often appears on .......... TV.
16. It’s such .......... original idea! Besides you’ve got .......... good sense of humour.
17. On .......... rainy day .......... castle looks like .......... prison.

 5. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

1. .......... Europe is bordered towards the north by .......... Arctic Ocean, towards .......... south by .......... Mediterranean Sea and .......... Black Sea, towards .......... west by .......... Atlantic Ocean and .......... east by .......... Asia.
2. The largest fresh water lake in .......... Europe is .......... Lake Ladoga in .......... north-western Russia.
3. We've booked a holiday for three weeks in .......... Canary Islands.
4. Located to .........._ east of .......... Mariana Islands in .......... western Pacific Ocean, .......... Mariana Trench is the deepest known area.
5. .......... Astrachan is located on ..........Caspian Sea.
6. Once I went for my holidays to .......... Lake Baikal. It was great!
7. In ..........North of .......... Britain there are higher lands and mountains.
8. .......... Pennines is a chain of mountains which is known as the backbone of ..........England.
9. The longest river in ..........United States is ..........Mississippi.
10. .......... Urals divide ..........Asia and ..........Europe.
11. .......... Appalachian mountains in ..........United States are very old.
12. Which is longer:  .......... Volga or ..........Danube?
13. Is .......... Everest the  highest mountain in world?
14. Is .......... Amsterdam in .......... United States or in .......... Netherlands?
15. .......... Loch Ness is a lake in .......... Scotland.
16. I went to .......... France last year, but I haven’t been to .......... Netherlands yet
17. .......... USA is the fourth largest country in the world after .......... Russia, .......... Canada and ..........Republic of ..........  China.
18. .......... English Channel is between .......... Great Britain and .......... France.
19. .......... Thames flows through .......... London.
20. .......... United Kingdom includes .......... Great Britain and .......... Northern Ireland.

 6. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

1. About hundred miles south of .......... England and within sight of .......... French coast lies the small group of .......... beautiful rocky islands known as .......... Channel Islands.
2. In .......... Hungary, ..........tourism and industrial development around .........._ shores of .......... Lake Balaton have rendered lake biologically dead.
3. .......... Stonehenge is ..........ancient megalithic monument located on ..........Salisbury plain in .......... southern England, about two miles west of .......... River Avon. .......... biggest question that still remains concerning .......... Stonehenge is why it was built.
4. Most .......... commercials usually include .......... short, clever phrase or slogan.
5. Today most .......... American families have at least two TV sets. .......... only activity that takes up more of their free time is sleeping. They are criticized by some experts for.......... amount of time they spend in front of .......... television.
6. Most people believe that it’s wrong to let .......... children have everything that .......... money can buy. They must realize well that .......... money is earned by .......... hard work.
7. Two local residents were injured in.......... crash last night involving .......... motor-cycle and .......... car. .......... motorcyclist, Peter Johnson, .......... postman, skidded and hit ..........side of .......... car being driven by Louise Mason. The emergency services were soon on ..........scene and both were taken to .......... hospital, where they were treated for ..........shock.
8. .......... new youth centre is planned for Melton. .......... centre aims to cater for.......... young people between the ages of 16 and 21. .......... young people wishing to become .......... members will pay .......... small annual fee and will then be able to use all .........._ facilities available. The centre will have .......... bar serving .......... soft drinks and ..........snacks.
9. .......... story of how .......... days of .......... week were named is interesting. .......... Romans had named them in .......... honour of their gods, and of .......... sun and moon. When .........._ Anglo-Saxons wanted names for .......... days, they took .......... Roman idea, but to most of..........days they gave .......... names of their own gods.
10. .......... most southerly of .......... Channel Islands is .......... Jersey, which enjoys .......... equable climate all .......... year round. It is situated within sight of .......... French coast. .......... Finance and .......... tourism play .......... important part in .......... island’s prosperity. .......... town of St Helier at .......... eastern side of .......... south coast is .......... historic capital.
11. .......... solar system is ..........  family of worlds. Nearest to .......... sun is Mercuiy, ..........  place where the day is hot enough to melt some metals.
12. After.......... exams were over, my friend and I decided to go on .......... picnic. It was ..........  very big mistake and everything went wrong from .......... very beginning. We had arranged to meet at half past eight so that we could make up.......... early start. ..........  place we wanted to go to was.......... two-hour drive from ..........__ city centre. It was Saturday and there was ..........  heavy traffic which held us up. After driving for about .......... hour .......... car broke down and we had to call Paul, ..........friend of ours, who is .......... mechanic, to come to our rescue. It took Paul two hours to repair .......... car. By .......... time we arrived at our picnic spot, it was .......... late afternoon and ..........  weather was quite cloudy We got all.......... food out of.......... car and.......... blanket to sit on but we were immediately invaded by.......... insects that wanted to share..........  picnic. Then it started to rain heavily and we had to put everything back in the car and drive back home.

7. Underline the variant with the correct article.

1. The white rhinoceros / A white rhinoceros is close to extinction.

2. The bicycle /A bicycle is an environmentally friendly means of transport.

3. The development of the railway / A development the railway encouraged tourism throughout Europe.

4. The fridge / A fridge is today considered an essential in most homes.

5. Writing the letter / a letter is often cheaper than telephone

6. Laszlo Biro is normally credited with having invented the ball-point pen / a ball-point pen.

7. The experienced test pilot / An experienced test-pilot earns a considerable amount of money.

8. The Jumbo Jet / A Jumbo Jet has revolutionised air travel.

9. The credit card / A credit card is a convenient way of paying for purchases.

10. Accidents / The accident will happen, I’m afraid.

11. A tortoise is a / the sort of reptile.

12 Don’t forget it’s Mothers Day / the Mother’s Day next week.

13 Olympic Games / The Olympic Games were restarted in Athens in 1896.

14 United Nations / The United Nations was formed in 1945.

15 ICI / The ICI is one of the world’s largest companies.

 8. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

The Devoted friend

(after Oscar Wilde)

.......... Hans had .......... great many friends, but .......... most devoted friends of all was .......... big Hugh, .......... miller. Indeed, so devoted was .......... rich miller to .......... little Hans that he never went by his garden without leaning over .......... wall and plucking .......... large nosegay, or filling his pockets with .......... plums and .......... cherries if it was .......... fruit season.

".......... real friends should have everything in common," .......... miller used to say. .......... neighbours, indeed, thought it strange that .......... rich miller never gave .......... little Hans anything in return, though he had .......... hundred sacks of .......... flour stored away in .......... mill, and six cows, and .......... large flock of .......... sheep.

In .......... spring, .......... summer and .......... autumn Hans was very happy, but when .......... winter came, he suffered a good deal from .......... cold and hunger and often had to go to .......... bed without .......... supper. "There is no good in my going to see .......... little Hans now," .......... miller used to say to his wife, "for when .......... people are in .......... trouble they should not be bothered by .......... visitors. I shall pay him .......... visit in .......... spring, and he will be able to give me .......... large bucket of flowers, and that will make him so happy."

"You are so thoughtful about .......... others," answered his wife. "It is .......... pleasure to hear you talk about .......... friendship. I am sure .......... clergyman himself could not say such .......... beautiful things, though he does live in .......... three-storied house and wears .......... gold ring on his little finger."

"But could we not ask .......... little Hans up here?" said .......... miller's youngest son.

"What .......... silly boy you are!" cried .......... miller. "I really don't know what is .......... use of sending you to .......... school. You do not seem to learn anything. Why if .......... little Hans came here, he might get envious, and .......... envy is .......... most terrible thing. Besides, if he came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on .......... credit, and that I could not do. .......... flour is one thing, and .......... friendship is another. .......... words are spelt differently and mean quite different things."

"How well you talk," said .......... miller's wife, pouring herself out .......... large glass of .......... warm ale. "It is just like being in .......... church."

9. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

As (1) .......... writer, I seem to spend (2) .......... most of (3) ..........  time working at (4) ..........  home in (5) ..........  study, sitting in (6) .......... front of (7) ..........  typewriter. In fact, (8) .......... only people I see regularly are (9) ..........  members of my family and it is difficult to keep in (10) ..........touch with friends I made at (11) .......... school. I’m always getting (12) .......... letters and (13) .......... phone calls from (14) ..........   people at (15) ..........  publisher’s, though, and I do try to go out of (16) ..........  house at least once (17) ..........  day. And from (18) .......... time to (19) ..........   time I give (20) ..........  lectures or take part in (21) ..........  courses at (22) .......... conferences or at (23) ..........  schools in (24) ..........  UK or abroad and this helps to prevent me feeling too isolated. I also get (25) ..........  reports back from (26) ..........  schools where material I’ve written is being tried out, and this kind of (27) .......... feedback is very useful. Still, it seems to me while I’m still busy and continue to make (28) .......... living, I should go on writing (29) ..........  books. But as soon as (30) .......... ideas seem to be drying up or I start suffering from (31)  ..........  loneliness, I’ll give up (32) ..........  writing and get back into (33) ..........  classroom and meet (34) .......... students again.

10. Use the proper article where necessary. Comment on your choice.

Shipment of  a Cargo of Wheat Abroad

On .......... 12th of .......... August, .......... Russian  foreign trade organization concluded .......... contract with .......... foreign firm for .......... sale .......... cargo of 6000 tons of .......... wheat. .......... wheat was to be shipped in .......... September. .......... sellers chartered .......... s.s. "Martha" for .......... transportation of .......... wheat. About ten days before .......... expected arrival of .......... vessel at .......... port of loading, .......... ship-owners informed .......... sellers that .......... s.s. "Martha" had been in collision with another boat during .......... dense fog in .......... Mediterranean Sea and would not  be able to arrive at .......... port of loading before .......... end of .......... September. .......... sellers had at their disposal .......... larger vessel of 6500 tons. Therefore they sent .......... telegram to .......... buyers asking to accept 6500 tons of .......... wheat instead of 6000 tons. .......... buyers agreed, but requested .......... sellers to ship .......... wheat in .......... first half of .......... October. .......... sellers consented to postpone .......... shipment of cargo in accordance with .......... desire of .......... buyers, and .......... cargo was shipped on .......... 10th of October.