Articles                                                                                   Name ________________________

Add the definite article the in the blank spaces if necessary.  Write X if no the is necessary.  Use the information in the handout Articles: “the”--Rules for using the with proper nouns.

The Traveler

            There is no part of _____ world which I have not visited.  I have traveled through _____ thickest jungles of _____ Africa and _____ upper regions of _____ Amazon.  I have been through _____ Taj Mahal, _____ Vatican, and _____ Leaning Tower of _____ Pisa.  I have even gone to _____ Seven Wonders of _____ World.  I wonder if you can tell me _____ names of _____ seven great structures in this group?

            I have been over _____ Cuba, _____ Philippine Islands, _____ England, and _____ Russia.  I have touched _____ top of _____ Empire State Building, _____ peak of _____ Mount Everest, and _____ whole range of _____ Alps.  I have drifted on _____ Rhine River, _____ Lake Victoria, _____ Atlantic Ocean, _____ Caribbean Sea, and _____ Gulf of _____ Mexico.  I have been through _____ streets of _____ New York, _____ Berlin, and _____ Singapore.  I have wandered through _____ Balkans, _____ Near East, and _____ Scandinavian Peninsula.  How many of these things have you done?

            I have passed through _____ Houses of Parliament in _____ Great Britain, through _____ White House in _____ Washington, and through _____ Kremlin in _____ Moscow.  I have been to _____ Coliseum in _____ Rome, _____ Acropolis in _____ Athens, _____ Louvre in _____ Paris, _____ Lenin’s Tomb in _____ Russia, and _____ Statue of Liberty in _____ New York Harbor.  I have been in _____ Texas, _____ largest state in the United States, in _____ Venezuela, _____ northernmost state of _____ South America, and in _____ Republic of _____ Panama, split by _____ Panama Canal.  Do you think that you could locate all of these places on your map?

            I have been through _____ Orient, over _____ length of _____ Long Island, and down _____ Park Avenue.  I have traveled down _____ Mississippi River, over _____ island of Taiwan, and around _____ entire Australian continent.  I have gone through _____ United Nations Building and _____ Imperial Japanese Palace.  I have been through all _____ countries in _____ Americas, in all _____ cities in _____ Europe, and from _____ one end of _____ British Commonwealth to _____ other.

            Although I have gone to _____ Columbia University and _____ MIT, _____ Saint Andrews, _____ Oxford, and _____ Sorbonne, _____ University of _____ California, _____ Pennsylvania State College, and _____ Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, I did not learn geography in these schools.  Now can you guess who I am?

___________________________

Choose the, a, or an for each blank in the following selection.

My Mistake

            I live in _____ small house in _____ country.  There is _____ small city _____ few miles away.  Going to _____ city is no problem unless you are in _____ hurry.  There is _____ bus which stops at _____ little gas station opposite our house, but _____ driver of _____ bus never carries _____ watch or pays any attention to _____ printed schedule which he distributes regularly.  Therefore, when I have _____ appointment or _____ important engagement, I never depend on _____ Lexington Transportation Company (_____ name of _____ bus line).  _____ week ago, I wanted to go into _____ city to buy _____ suit.  However, I was expecting _____ guest to come spend _____ evening with us, so I wanted to get back to _____ house early.  In order not to lose any time, I drove to _____ city.  I parked in front of _____ one-hour parking meter.  When I returned with _____ suit, _____ policeman was standing there.  _____ meter indicated _____ violation.  I had been away more than _____ hour.  _____ policeman was putting _____ parking ticket on _____ car.  I tried to persuade him to tear up _____ ticket.  I soon realized this was _____ waste of time.  When I went to _____ Court House _____ week later, I found out _____ fine for _____ violation was five dollars.

Source: Taylor, G. (1956).  Mastering American English.  New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 184-185.
Christine Bauer-Ramazani; last updated: July 09, 2017