A/An/The vs. No Article – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are writing a negative review on Booking.com about a hotel you recently stayed at. Choose the correct article (A, B, C, or D) to complete your review naturally.
1 I usually don’t write bad reviews, but my experience at this place was terrible. When we arrived, ______ receptionist was extremely rude to us.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
2 We waited for twenty minutes because ______ manager was apparently “on a break”.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
3 We specifically booked this hotel because we wanted to swim, but ______ swimming pool was closed for maintenance during our entire stay!
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
4 When we finally got the key to our room, we realized that ______ air conditioning was completely broken.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
5 I went to the front desk to complain, and they offered me ______ small desk fan as an apology.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
6 ______ fan they gave me was so loud that I couldn’t sleep all night.
(A) A
(B) An
(C) The
(D) No article
7 To make things worse, ______ elevator in the building was out of order, so we had to carry our heavy bags up five flights of stairs.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
8 When we walked into our bathroom, we noticed that ______ towels were damp and smelled terrible.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
9 I tried to call ______ front desk from the room, but the phone was disconnected.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
10 The next morning, we went down to the dining area. We were expecting a nice breakfast, but ______ food was cold and tasteless.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
11 I asked for some hot water for my tea, but ______ waitress just rolled her eyes at me.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
12 I noticed that there was ______ dirty stain on the tablecloth where we were sitting.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
13 ______ stain looked like somebody had spilled coffee and nobody had bothered to clean it up.
(A) A
(B) An
(C) The
(D) No article
14 The hotel website advertises “fast and free Wi-Fi,” but ______ internet connection dropped every five minutes.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
15 We decided to leave a day early. When we checked out, they tried to charge us for ______ bottle of water from the minibar that we never drank!
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
16 I told them that ______ bottle was already empty when we arrived, but they didn’t believe me.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
17 This place is an absolute disaster. It is definitely ______ worst hotel I have ever stayed in.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
18 I strongly believe that ______ customer service is the most important part of the hospitality industry, but this hotel has none.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
19 Honestly, ______ hotels in this specific area are usually quite good, but this one is an exception.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
20 Save your money and find ______ different place to stay for your vacation.
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) no article
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) the
Why it is correct: This is the Implicit Context Rule. Even though the receptionist is mentioned for the first time, the context is specifically “this hotel”. The reader understands you mean the receptionist of this hotel.
2 (C) the
Why it is correct: Similar to the receptionist, there is usually only one main manager on duty at a hotel. The context makes “the manager” specific.
3 (C) the
Why it is correct: You are reviewing a specific hotel. Therefore, “the swimming pool” refers strictly to the pool belonging to this property, making it a specific, known object to the reader.
4 (C) the
Why it is correct: The context is now narrowed down to “our room”. Every hotel room has its own specific AC unit. Therefore, it is “the air conditioning” (of that room).
5 (A) a
Why it is correct: You are introducing a new object into the story (a desk fan). The hotel probably has many of them, and this is the first time you are mentioning it. It takes “a”.
6 (C) The
Why it is correct: Second Mention Rule. You just introduced the fan in the previous sentence. Now that the reader knows exactly which fan you mean, it becomes “The fan”.
7 (C) the
Why it is correct: Implicit context. The elevator belongs to the specific building you are reviewing.
8 (C) the
Why it is correct: The context is narrowed to “our bathroom”. You are referring to the specific towels provided in that specific room.
9 (C) the
Why it is correct: A hotel only has one front desk. Because it is a unique entity within the context of the hotel, it must be “the front desk”.
10 (C) the
Why it is correct: You are not talking about food in general; you are talking about the specific food provided at the breakfast buffet of this hotel.
11 (C) the
Why it is correct: Implicit context. You are talking about the specific waitress working in the dining area at that moment.
12 (A) a
Why it is correct: You are introducing a new detail into the story: a dirty stain. Because it’s new information, it takes “a”.
13 (C) The
Why it is correct: Second mention. You are referring back to the stain you just introduced in question 12
14 (C) the
Why it is correct: “The internet” is a unique entity globally and almost always takes “the”. Furthermore, you are talking about the specific connection of the hotel.
15 (A) a
Why it is correct: There were likely multiple items or bottles in the minibar. You are referring to one specific charge for one unidentified bottle. First mention takes “a”.
16 (C) the
Why it is correct: Second mention. You are referring specifically to the bottle they tried to charge you for.
17 (C) the
Why it is correct: “Worst” is a superlative adjective. Superlatives always require the definite article “the”.
18 (D) no article
Why it is correct: You are talking about “customer service” as a broad, abstract concept in the industry. General abstract nouns take zero article.
19 (D) no article
Why it is correct: You are making a general statement about plural items (“hotels in this specific area”). General plural nouns take zero article.
20 (A) a
Why it is correct: You are advising the reader to find any one different place (out of thousands of options). Because you are not pointing to a specific place, it takes “a”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “Implicit Context” Rule :
- Normally, when you mention something for the first time, you use “a” or “an”.
- HOWEVER, if the surrounding context restricts the noun so tightly that everyone knows what you mean, you MUST use The.
- Example in a Hotel: When you write a review, the “hotel” acts as the boundary. Any permanent feature or staff member of that hotel takes “The”, even on the first mention.
- The pool (of this hotel)
- The receptionist (of this hotel)
- The elevator (of this hotel)
2 First vs. Second Mention :
- For portable objects or random things not permanently tied to the building, the standard rule applies.
- Introduce: They gave me a fan.
- Refer back: The fan was loud.
3 General Complaints :
- When complaining about broad concepts (like customer service or food in general), use No Article.
- But if you are complaining about the specific items you were served, use The. (“The food here is cold!”)