a, an, the, or nothing at all — and which nouns can take a plural.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
Noun and article errors together were about 13% of everything marked wrong in a corpus study of IELTS essays. Very few students train them.
Two questions, in this order. First: can I count this noun? Second: does the reader already know which one I mean?
If the reader already knows which one, use the. If not, use a or an for one countable thing, and nothing for a plural or an uncountable noun.
Hindi and most Indian languages have no articles. Missing a and the is not carelessness — the category does not exist in your first language. It has to be built deliberately.
A short list worth memorising, because they are uncountable in English and countable in many other languages: information · advice · research · equipment · furniture · luggage · knowledge · progress.
Worked example
She gave me ______ useful advice about the exam.
A an · B a · C some · D the
Answer: C some
Advice is uncountable in English, so it cannot take a or an, and it has no plural. For an unspecified amount of an uncountable noun, use some or nothing at all. The point: ask whether the noun can be counted before you choose the article.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
