Articles: a, an & the worksheet
Get printable practice and answer guidance, with related online activities ready when you want to continue.
How this practice helps you
- Print the questions without the answers beside them.
- Use the explained key to review your choices.
- Continue the same topic online when you are ready.
Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________
She is studying at ___ university.
a / an / the
My answer: ________________________________________
I found a notebook. ___ notebook had no name.
A / The / An
My answer: ________________________________________
___ water is essential for life.
A / The / No article
My answer: ________________________________________
We waited for ___ hour.
a / an / no article
My answer: ________________________________________
Could you close ___ door next to you?
a / an / the
My answer: ________________________________________
I bought ___ umbrella because it was raining.
the / an / a
My answer: ________________________________________
We had ___ breakfast before leaving.
no article / a / an
My answer: ________________________________________
___ moon looked bright last night.
A / An / The
My answer: ________________________________________
Choose the general statement.
A dogs need exercise. / Dogs need exercise. / The dogs need an exercise.
My answer: ________________________________________
She is ___ engineer.
an / a / no article
My answer: ________________________________________
Answer key & explanations
- a — University begins with a /y/ sound, so a is correct when no particular university has been identified.
- The — The notebook is now identifiable because it was introduced in the first sentence.
- No article — Water refers to the substance in general, not a specific supply.
- an — The h in hour is silent. The word begins with a vowel sound.
- the — The phrase next to you identifies the specific door.
- an — Use an before the vowel sound in umbrella when introducing an unspecified item.
- no article — Meals such as breakfast normally take no article in this general use.
- The — Use the for the moon because the intended object is uniquely identifiable.
- Dogs need exercise. — A plural noun with no article can refer to a whole class. Dogs is plural, so a cannot precede it.
- an — A singular countable job noun needs an article; engineer begins with a vowel sound.
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Next worksheet: Determiners & quantifiers →Want more articles: a, an & the practice?
The online topic pack has 40 exercises across four sets, including sentence work and original writing. This printable covers the ten-question warm-up.
Open all four practice sets →Skills to work on in this practice
- Choose a or an by sound
- Use the for a specific reference
- Recognise when no article is needed