Articles (A, An, The) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Chatting with a new friend about your family’s jobs.
Choose the correct article to fill in the blank.
1 My dad works at a large hospital in the city. He is ___ doctor.
(a) a
(b) the
(c) an
2 My mother paints beautiful pictures and sells them online. She is ___ artist.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
3 My older brother teaches math at a local high school. He is ___ teacher.
(a) the
(b) an
(c) a
4 My sister designs amazing modern buildings. She is ___ architect.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
5 My uncle drives a taxi all around the city. He is ___ driver.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
6 My aunt loves cooking delicious meals. She is ___ chef at a famous restaurant.
(a) a
(b) the
(c) an
7 My grandfather built bridges and roads. He was ___ engineer before he retired.
(a) the
(b) a
(c) an
8 My cousin travels all over the world for his job. He is ___ flight attendant.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
9 My best friend’s dad works in Hollywood. He is ___ actor.
(a) a
(b) the
(c) an
10 My father owns his own company and travels a lot. He is ___ businessman.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
11 My mom loves helping sick animals get better. She is ___ vet.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
12 My brother is great at fixing broken cars. He is ___ mechanic.
(a) the
(b) an
(c) a
13 My sister works in a busy office with numbers and taxes. She is ___ accountant.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
14 My grandfather writes amazing fantasy books. He is ___ author.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
15 My mother wins almost all her cases in court. She is ___ excellent lawyer.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
16 My uncle teaches advanced physics. He is ___ university professor.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
17 My aunt interviews people for jobs. She is ___ HR manager at a tech company.
(a) an
(b) a
(c) the
18 My dad loves old castles and kings. He is ___ European history teacher.
(a) an
(b) the
(c) a
19 My sister always tells the truth to the public. She is ___ honest politician.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
20 “Who is that man in the black suit?” – “He is ___ manager of my dad’s company.”
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) a
Explanation: When stating someone’s profession in English, we must use an article. “Doctor” starts with a consonant sound (/d/), so we use “a”. Option (c) “an” is a basic structural error. Option (b) “the” is a common mistake because we are classifying his job, not specifying which doctor he is.
2 (b) an
Explanation: “Artist” starts with a vowel sound (/ɑː/). Option (a) “a” is a basic grammar error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect because we are just stating her job in general.
3 (c) a
Explanation: “Teacher” starts with a consonant sound (/t/). Option (b) “an” is a structural error. Option (a) “the” is a common mistake when describing a general profession.
4 (a) an
Explanation: “Architect” starts with a vowel sound (/ɑː/). Option (b) “a” is a basic error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect for general professions.
5 (b) a
Explanation: “Driver” starts with a consonant sound (/d/). Option (a) “an” is a structural error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect in this context.
6 (a) a
Explanation: “Chef” starts with a consonant sound (/ʃ/). Option (c) “an” is a basic error. Option (b) “the” is a common mistake.
7 (c) an
Explanation: “Engineer” starts with a vowel sound (/e/). Option (b) “a” is a structural error. Option (a) “the” is incorrect because we are classifying his past profession.
8 (a) a
Explanation: “Flight attendant” starts with a consonant sound (/f/). Option (b) “an” is a structural error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
9 (c) an
Explanation: “Actor” starts with a vowel sound (/æ/). Option (a) “a” is a basic error. Option (b) “the” is a common mistake.
10 (b) a
Explanation: “Businessman” starts with a consonant sound (/b/). Option (a) “an” is a structural error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
11 (a) a
Explanation: “Vet” starts with a consonant sound (/v/). Option (b) “an” is a structural error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
12 (c) a
Explanation: “Mechanic” starts with a consonant sound (/m/). Option (b) “an” is a structural error. Option (a) “the” is incorrect.
13 (a) an
Explanation: “Accountant” starts with a vowel sound (/ə/). Option (b) “a” is a basic error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
14 (b) an
Explanation: “Author” starts with a vowel sound (/ɔː/). Option (a) “a” is a basic error. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
15 (a) an
Explanation: When an adjective comes before the profession, the article depends on the sound of the adjective. “Excellent” starts with a vowel sound (/e/), so we use “an”. Option (b) “a” is a common mistake for students who only look at the noun “lawyer”. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
16 (b) a
Explanation: This is an exception based on sound. Although “university” starts with the vowel letter ‘u’, it is pronounced with a consonant sound (/j/ – “yoo”). Therefore, we must use “a”. Option (a) “an” is a very common mistake. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
17 (a) an
Explanation: This is an exception based on sound. The letter “H” in “HR” is pronounced as “aitch” (/eɪtʃ/), which starts with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use “an”. Option (b) “a” is a common mistake for students who only look at the consonant letter. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
18 (c) a
Explanation: Although “European” starts with the vowel letter ‘E’, it is pronounced with a consonant sound (/j/ – “yoo”). Therefore, we use “a”. Option (a) “an” is a common mistake. Option (b) “the” is incorrect.
19 (b) an
Explanation: The word “honest” starts with a silent ‘h’, making the first sound a vowel (/ɒ/). Therefore, we use “an”. Option (a) “a” is a common mistake. Option (c) “the” is incorrect.
20 (c) the
Explanation: This is the exception to the rule! We normally use “a/an” for professions, but here, the phrase “of my dad’s company” makes this a specific, unique position. There is only one manager in this context, so we must use “the”. Option (a) “a” and (b) “an” are common mistakes if students blindly apply the “a/an for jobs” rule without reading the specific context.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Always use an article for singular jobs: In English, you cannot say “I am doctor.” You must say “I am a doctor.”
- A vs. An depends on SOUND, not spelling: * Use “a” before a consonant sound (a teacher, a chef).
- Use “an” before a vowel sound (an artist, an engineer).
- Watch out for trick sounds:
- Letters like ‘U’ or ‘E’ can make a “Yoo” consonant sound (e.g., a university, a European).
- Letters like ‘H’ can be silent, starting with a vowel sound (e.g., an honest person, an HR manager).
- Adjectives change the article: If you put a describing word before the job, match the article to the first sound of that word (e.g., a doctor → an amazing doctor).
- When to use “The”: Only use “the” for a profession if you are talking about a specific, unique role that the listener knows about (e.g., “He is the manager of this store” – there is only one).