Level: A1-A2

Choose the Right Article — Practice

The most general article quiz. Fill in the blank — does the sentence need a, an, the, or no article? 50 click-to-hear examples.

📝 Articles unit · lesson 3 of 9 ⏱ about 10 minutes 🔊 every example has audio

Builds on A vs An — the sound rule Next in unit The with Places →

🎯 The decision tree

Is the noun specific (the listener knows which one)? → the.
If not, is it singular and countable? → a / an (use the sound rule).
If not (plural countable or uncountable, general meaning) → no article.

Examples

I saw a dog in the park. (any dog — singular countable, general)
The dog was friendly. (now we know which dog — specific)
I’d like an apple, please. (any apple — singular countable, general)
The sun is bright today. (unique — only one)
Cats are friendly animals. (NO article — plural countable, general)
Water is essential. (NO article — uncountable, general)

📚 Specialized practice

Once you grasp the basics here, drill specific cases on these focused quizzes:

A vs An — the sound rule (a university, an hour)
The with geographic places (the Pacific, but Paris)
School vs the school (the activity vs the building)
When to use no article
Tricky uses (body parts, times of day, meals, seasons)
Common article mistakes
Identify articles (find every article in a sentence)

📖 Want the full explanation? See English Articles on the main grammar page.

How to use this page

🔊 Listen: click the speaker icon to hear the whole line read aloud.
Word audio: click any word to hear it spoken on its own.
🌐 Translate: choose a language then click the globe icon to open Google Translate.
☑️ Select & practice: tick the checkboxes to choose items, then print them, make a worksheet or flashcards, or start a quiz.

A — singular countable, general (consonant sound)
I saw ______ dog in the park. – a
She bought ______ car. – a
He is ______ teacher. – a
Can I have ______ coffee? – a
It is ______ beautiful day. – a
She wants ______ new phone. – a
We need ______ bigger table. – a
He works at ______ bank. – a
AN — singular countable, general (vowel sound)
I would like ______ apple. – an
She has ______ idea. – an
He is ______ engineer. – an
Can I borrow ______ umbrella? – an
It was ______ interesting movie. – an
I will be ready in ______ hour. – an
He is ______ honest person. – an
She wants ______ orange juice. – an
THE — specific or unique
______ sun is bright today. – the
Please close ______ door. – the
I saw a movie. ______ movie was great. – the
He plays ______ piano. – the
She is ______ best student in class. – the
Look at ______ moon tonight. – the
I live in ______ United States. – the
The cat sat on ______ chair in the corner. – the
______ first day of school is exciting. – the
She is ______ tallest in her family. – the
NO ARTICLE — plural countable, general
______ Cats are friendly animals. – no article
______ Dogs make good pets. – no article
She loves ______ children. – no article
He does not eat ______ vegetables. – no article
______ Books are valuable. – no article
______ Birds can fly. – no article
NO ARTICLE — uncountable, general
______ Water is essential for life. – no article
She loves ______ music. – no article
______ Honesty is important. – no article
I like ______ coffee. – no article
______ Rice is a common food. – no article
She needs ______ advice. – no article
NO ARTICLE — proper names, meals, languages, sports
I visited ______ Paris. – no article
He was born in ______ July. – no article
We have ______ lunch at 12. – no article
She speaks ______ English. – no article
He plays ______ soccer. – no article
______ Mount Everest is the highest. – no article
Mixed practice — first or second mention
I bought ______ book yesterday. – a
______ book was very interesting. – the
She has ______ cat and a dog. – a
______ cat is black. – the
He is ______ doctor. – a
______ doctor I visited yesterday was kind. – the

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