UNIT 72. A/an and the ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

UNIT 72. A/an and the

A	Study this example: Compare a and the in these examples: √ A man and a woman were sitting opposite me. The man was American, but I think the woman was British. √ When we were on holiday, we stayed at a hotel. Sometimes we ate at the hotel and sometimes we went to a restaurant.
B	We use the when we are thinking of a specific thing. Compare a/ an and the: √ Tim sat down on a chair. (perhaps one of many chairs in the room) Tim sat down on the chair nearest the door. (a specific chair) Paula is looking for a job. (not a specific job) Did Paula get the job she applied for? (a specific job) Do you have a car? (not a specific car) I cleaned the car yesterday. (=my car) √ √
C	We use the when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean. For example, in a room we talk about the light /the floor /the ceiling /the door /the carpet etc. √ Can you turn off the light, please? (=the light in this room) I took a taxi to the station. (= the station in that town) (in a shop) I'd like to speak to the manager, please. (=the manager of this shop) √ √ In the same way, we say (go to) the bank /the post office: √ I have to go to the bank and then I'm going to the post office. (The speaker is usually thinking of a specific bank or post office.) We also say (go to) the doctor /the dentist: √ Clare isn't very well. She's gone to the doctor. (= her usual doctor) I don't like going to the dentist. √ Compare the and a: √ I have to go to the bank today. Is there a bank near here? I don't like going to the dentist. My sister is a dentist. √
D	We say 'once a week /three times a day /£1.50 a kilo' etc. : √ 'How often do you go to the cinema?' 'About once a month.' 'How much are those potatoes?' '£1.50 a kilo.' Helen works eight hours a day, six days a week. √ √

EXERCISES

72.1	Put in a/an or the. 1 This morning I bought ___a___ newspaper and _______ magazine_______ newspaper is in my bag, but I can't remember where I put _______ magazine. I saw _______ accident this morning. _______ car crashed into _______ tree. _______ driver of _______ car wasn't hurt, but _______ car was badly damaged. There are two cars parked outside: _______ blue one and _______ grey one. _______ blue one belongs to my neighbours; I don't know who _______ owner of _______ grey one is. My friends live in _______ old house in _______ small village. There is _______ beautiful garden behind _______ house. I would like to have _______ garden like that. 2 3 4
72.2	Put in a/an or the. 1 a. This house is very nice. Has it got ____ garden? b. It’s a beautiful day. Let's sit in ____ garden. c. I like living in this house, but it's a shame that ____ garden is so small. a. Can you recommend ____ good restaurant? b. We had dinner in ____ very nice restaurant. c. We had dinner in ____ best restaurant in town. a. She has ____ French name, but in fact she's English, not French. b. What's ____ name of that man we met yesterday? c. We stayed at a very nice hotel- I can't remember ____ name now. a. There isn't ____ airport near where I live____ nearest airport is 70 miles away. b. Our flight was delayed. We had to wait at ____ airport for three hours. c. Excuse me, please. Can you tell me how to get to ____ airport? a. 'Are you going away next week?' 'No, ____ week after next.' b. I'm going away for ____ week in September. c. Gary has a part-time job. He works three mornings ____ week. 2 3 4 5
72.3	Put in a/an or the where necessary. 1 Would you like apple? How often do you go to dentist? Could you dose door, please? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. lt was mistake. Excuse me, where is bus station, please? I have problem. Can you help me? I'm just going to post office. I won't be long. There were no chairs, so we sat on floor Have you finished with book I lent you? My sister has just got job in bank in Zurich. We live in small apartment in city centre. There's supermarket at end of street I live in. ___ Would you like an apple? _____ 2 _________________________________ 3 _________________________________ 4 _________________________________ 5 _________________________________ 6 _________________________________ 7 _________________________________ 8 _________________________________ 9 _________________________________ 10 _________________________________ 11 _________________________________ 12 _________________________________
72.4	Answer these questions about yourself. Where possible, use the structure in Section D (once a week/three times a day etc.). 1 How often do you go to the cinema? How often do you go to the cinema? How often do you go away on holiday What's the usual speed limit in towns in your country? How much sleep do you need? How often do you go out in the evening? How much television do you watch (on average)? How much does it cost to rent a small car in your country? ___ Three or four times a year ______ 2 ___________________________ 3 ___________________________ 4 ___________________________ 5 ___________________________ 6 ___________________________ 7 ___________________________ 8 ___________________________

ANSWER KEY