A, An, Some and Any - Exercises for Beginners
Four tasks on the little words that stand in front of a noun. Start by sorting pictures into a and an, then decide which nouns can be counted and which cannot - that is what tells some from a.
The third one puts all four words together, and the last is listening: what is in the basket?
Rule: A / An / Some / Any ShowHide
a or an
For one thing.
- an before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): an apple, an egg, an igloo, an old car, an umbrella
- a before other sounds: a dog, a box, a parrot
Countable or uncountable
- Countable – you can count them one by one: an apple, two apples, a pencil, three eggs.
- Uncountable – you can't count them: water, milk, sugar, bread, cheese, money.
Uncountable nouns take no a or an and no -s.
some or any
- some in positive sentences: There is some snow on the roof. I've got some apples.
- any in negatives and questions: We don't have any sugar. Are there any eggs?
Asking about one thing you can count? Use a or an: Is there a park near here?
Tasks
a or an
For one thing.
- an before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): an apple, an egg, an igloo, an old car, an umbrella
- a before other sounds: a dog, a box, a parrot
Countable or uncountable
- Countable – you can count them one by one: an apple, two apples, a pencil, three eggs.
- Uncountable – you can't count them: water, milk, sugar, bread, cheese, money.
Uncountable nouns take no a or an and no -s.
some or any
- some in positive sentences: There is some snow on the roof. I've got some apples.
- any in negatives and questions: We don't have any sugar. Are there any eggs?
Asking about one thing you can count? Use a or an: Is there a park near here?