A, An, The & Zero Article Exercises (With Answers)

Definite And Indefinite Articles Exercises

Looking for a, an, the, and zero article exercises with answers?
This page provides clear and interactive grammar practice to help you master definite, indefinite, and zero articles in English.

These exercises will help you understand:

  • When to use a or an
  • When to use the
  • When to use no article (zero article)
  • Common mistakes learners make

Before starting, you may want to review our full lesson on articles in English.

Need a quick reminder of the rules before you do our Definite and Indefinite Articles Exercises? Scroll down to the review section after completing the exercises.

Let’s start our grammar exercises on definite and indefinite articles!

A. Definite and Indefinite Articles Exercises

Looking to master articles in English? Practice with our Grammar Exercise: Articles (a, an, the, or zero article) and test your skills with this interactive exercise.

Exercise 1 – Multiple Choice

Choose the correct article: a, an, the or x (no article)
  1. Are you coming to party next Saturday?
  2. I bought new TV set yesterday.
  3. I think man over there is very ill. He can't stand on his feet.
  4. I watched video you had sent me.
  5. She was wearing ugly dress when she met him.
  6. I am crazy about reading history books.
  7. She is nice girl.
  8. Do you want to go to restaurant where we first met?
  9. He is engineer.
  10. He thinks that love is what will save us all.

B. More Grammar Practice Exercises on Articles in English

If you’d like more practice with a, an, the, and zero article, try the additional exercises below. These activities will help you improve accuracy and avoid common article mistakes.

Exercise 2 – Gap Fill

Fill in the blanks with a, an, the, or Ø (no article).

  1. She wants to become ___ doctor.
  2. I saw ___ elephant at the zoo.
  3. ___ Earth moves around the Sun.
  4. We had ___ amazing time at the party.
  5. He plays ___ guitar very well.
  6. ___ children need love and support.
  7. She gave me ___ useful advice.
  8. I visited ___ Eiffel Tower when I was in Paris.
  9. He bought ___ umbrella because it was raining.
  10. ___ honesty is important in life.
  11. She adopted ___ cat from the shelter.
  12. I need ___ information about this topic.
  13. ___ Nile is the longest river in Africa.
  14. He is reading ___ book I gave him.
  15. We usually have ___ dinner at 7 p.m.
1. She wants to become a doctor.
2. I saw an elephant at the zoo.

3. The Earth moves around the Sun.
4. We had an amazing time at the party.
5. He plays the guitar very well.
6. Ø Children need love and support.
7. She gave me Ø useful advice.
8. I visited the Eiffel Tower when I was in Paris.
9. He bought an umbrella because it was raining.
10. Ø Honesty is important in life.
11. She adopted a cat from the shelter.
12. I need Ø information about this topic.
13. The Nile is the longest river in Africa.
14. He is reading the book I gave him.
15. We usually have Ø dinner at 7 p.m.

Exercise 3 – Error Correction

Each sentence contains a mistake. Correct the article.

  1. She is an university student.
  2. I have the good news for you.
  3. He bought a orange yesterday.
  4. The love is important in life.
  5. I need an information about this.
  6. She plays piano very well.
  7. I saw the beautiful bird in the garden. (first mention)
  8. He is the honest man.
  9. We usually go to the school by bus. (general meaning)
  10. She wants to be a engineer.
1. She is a university student. (“University” begins with a consonant sound /j/.)
2. I have Ø good news for you. (“News” is an uncountable noun and does not take an article in this general sense.)
3. He bought an orange yesterday. (“Orange” begins with a vowel sound.)
4. Ø Love is important in life. (Abstract nouns like “love” are generally used without an article when speaking in general.)
5. I need Ø information about this. (“Information” is an uncountable noun; we cannot use “an” with it.)
6. She plays the piano very well. (We use “the” before musical instruments.)
7. I saw a beautiful bird in the garden. (First mention uses the indefinite article “a”.)
8. He is an honest man. (“Honest” begins with a vowel sound /ɒ/ because the ‘h’ is silent.)
9. We sually go to Ø school by bus. (When referring to the institution for its general purpose, we do not use an article.)
10. She wants to be an engineer. (“Engineer” begins with a vowel sound /ɛ/.)

Looking for more multiple-choice practice? Try our Articles Multiple Choice Exercises.

Quick Review: When Do We Use A, An, The, and Zero Article?

1. A / An (Indefinite Articles)

  • Use a / an:
    • With singular countable nouns
    • When mentioning something for the first time
    • When it is not specific
  • Example:
    • I saw a dog in the park.
  • The difference bewenn a and an:
    • Use a before a consonnant sound (e.g., table, car, dinner, etc.)
    • Use an before a vowel sound (e.g., apple, agent, engineer, etc.)

2. The (Definite Article)

  • Use the:
    • When something is specific
    • When both speaker and listener know it
    • With unique things (the sun, the moon)
  • Example:
  • The dog we saw yesterday was very friendly.

3. Zero Article (No Article)

  • Use no article:
    • With plural nouns (general meaning)
    • With uncountable nouns (general meaning)
    • With abstract ideas
  • Examples:
    • I love Ø music.
    • Ø Books are important.

Teaching Articles in Context? Get the Complete Lesson Plan (PDF)

Are you a teacher looking for a structured lesson on definite and indefinite articles?

Download our ready-to-use Articles Lesson Plan PDF, designed for classroom use.

This lesson includes:

✅ Context-based introduction (real-life examples)
✅ Guided discovery of the rules (students identify patterns)
✅ Clear explanation of a, an, the, and zero article
✅ Controlled practice exercises
✅ Communicative production task
✅ Printable worksheet version
✅ Answer key

Perfect for:

  • ESL / EFL teachers
  • Middle school and high school classes
  • Adult learners
  • Online teaching

👉 Download the complete Articles Lesson Plan PDF here

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the zero article in English?

The zero article means using no article before a noun. It is common with plural nouns and uncountable nouns when speaking in general.
Examples:
– Books are useful.
– Water is essential.

When do we use “the”?

We use the when the noun is specific or already known to both speaker and listener.
Example:
– The movie we watched was amazing.

What is the difference between “a” and “an”?

Both are indefinite articles:
→ Use a before consonant sounds.
→ Use an before vowel sounds.
Examples:
– a car
– an apple

Tags: Exercises on Determiners
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