Available Answers

1. 1.

   Fill in the blanks with a or an.

   1. I had _____________ egg, _____________ paratha and _____________ glass of milk for breakfast.
   2. What _____________ horrid boy you are! I will give you _____________ spanking.
   3. He looks as wise as _____________ owl. He teaches at _____________ university.
   4. Sri Lanka is _____________ island. I have _____________ few friends there.
   5. The farmer bought _____________ ox, _____________ buffalo and _____________ goat.
   6. On _____________ day like this, let us go for _____________ walk.
   7. I met him _____________ hour ago. He was speaking with _____________ European who was _____________ one-eyed gentleman.
   8. My mother is _____________ teacher and my dad _____________ architect. We live in _____________ old but beautiful house surrounded with _____________ garden.
2. 2.

   Use a or an where necessary:

   1. _____________ air and _____________ water should never be polluted.
   2. What _____________ unkind remark! He needs _____________ to be punished for it.
   3. I like to listen to _____________ music and read _____________ poetry.
   4. Give me _____________ cup. I want to drink _____________ milk.
   5. _____________ wheat grows best in dry climate.
   6. These days pens are made of _____________ gold and silver.
   7. We use _____________ gas for cooking. We have _____________ electric stove too.
   8. Do you think it will _____________ rain? I don't have _____________ umbrella.
3. 3.

   Use a, an and the to fill in the blanks:

   1. He met with _____________ accident and lost _____________ purse and _____________ watch in _____________ accident.
   2. Kalidas is known as _____________ Shakespeare of India. Shakespeare was _____________ English writer _____________ born in United Kingdom.
   3. _____________ Internet is down. Call for _____________ electrician to check _____________ switches and _____________ wiring.
   4. We visited _____________ Philippines _____________ month ago. We had _____________ marvellous time there. We were there for _____________ fortnight.
   5. _____________ Nile is _____________ longest river of Egypt and flows into _____________ Mediterranean Sea.
   6. So many poems have been written about _____________ sun, _____________ moon, _____________ stars and _____________ sky.
   7. I read _____________ Times of India daily. I read _____________ comic section and _____________ Sports page.
   8. _____________ sandwich I had this morning, had cheese and _____________ slice of tomato in it.
4. 4.

   Read an excerpt from this humorous story. Uncle Podger Hangs a Picture by Jerome K. Jerome. then fill in the blanks using a, an or the.

   You never saw such ______1______ commotion up and down ______2______ house, in all your life when my Uncle Podger was about to hang ______3______ picture  on _____4______ wall. It was ______5_____ experience I would never forget.

   He would take off his coat and begin. He would send _____6______ girl (his daughter) to buy ______7______ nails. then he would send one of ______8______ boys (his sons) after ______9______ girl to tell her what size to buy.

   "Now Will, go and get me ______10_____ hammer from _____11_____  cupboard," he would shout.

   Then ordering _____12_____ other children, he would say, "You bring me ______13_____ ruler, Tom and you get me ______14_____ ladder. And yes! Get me _____15_____ kitchen chair too. Jim, go to Mr. Goggles and tell him I want his spirit - level. And, don't go, Maria girl, because I want you to hold ______16_____ torch for me. And when ______17_____ boy returns from Mr. Goggles, tell him, I want _____18______ bit of picture-cord. Tom, hand me up... picture." 

   Then he would lift up ______19_____ picture and drop it, and it would come out of its frame. He would try to save ______20_____ glass and cut himself; then he would dance around ______21______ room looking for ______22_____ handkerchief which was in one of his coat pockets. He did not know where he kept ______23_____ coat. All _____24_____ people in ______25_____  house would stop their work to look for ______26_____ coat, while he would dance round and hinder them, then come back and sit on ______27_____ chair.

   "I never came across ______28_____ set of people who cannot find _____29_____ coat, for heaven's sake!" he would cry. "Well, of all _____30_____". Then he would jump up and find that he had been sitting on _____31_____ coat.

   "Oh, you can stop looking for it. I have found it myself. Now, Tom _____32_____".

5. 5.

   Read aloud a stanza from The Pied Piper of Hamelin written by Robert Browning (1812-1889 and fill in the blanks with the article the:

   1. Rats!
   2. They fought _______ dogs and killed _______ cats,
   3. And bit _______ babies in _______ cradles,
   4. And ate _______ cheeses out of _______vats,
   5. And licked _______ soup from _______ cook's own ladles,
   6. Split open _______ kegs of salted sprats,