Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Determiners › Articles–The › Noun Identification Practice
Noun Identification Practice
Recognize when to switch from "a" to "the"
Situations for using a or the before a noun
| A — UNIDENTIFIED / FIRST MENTION |
|---|
A is used the first time we mention a noun. |
| FIRST MENTION |
This is a puzzle piece. |
| FIRST MENTION |
This is a puzzle piece. |
| FIRST MENTION |
This is a puzzle. |
| FIRST MENTION |
A piece goes in the upper right corner. |
| FIRST MENTION |
Hand me a piece. (any piece)
|
| FIRST MENTION |
"Hand me a piece." "There's only one left." |
| THE — IDENTIFIED / SECOND MENTION |
|---|
The is used when both the speaker and listener know "which one". The following are examples of ways in which a noun becomes identified in the context. |
| SECOND MENTION |
The piece fits into a puzzle. |
| ALREADY MENTIOND BY ANOTHER NAME |
The parts are rather small. (a piece = a part) |
| EXPECTED PART OF AN ALREADY MENTIONED ITEM |
The pieces are inside the puzzle box. |
| IDENTIFYING PHRASE OR CLAUSE |
The piece with two flat edges goes in the corner. The piece that I am holding is a corner piece. |
| BOTH SEE OR KNOW WHICH ONE |
Hand me the piece. (We both know / see which one.) |
| UNIQUENESS |
Hand me the last piece. (There is no other one like it.) |
Practice 1
Selling cookies door-to-door
Read for Errors
A girl rang my door bell this afternoon. Girl introduced herself and her sister. Her sister was pulling a red wagon. Red wagon held box. The box had an assortment of cookies. Assortment included peanut butter, chocolate and lemon cookies. I told her I would buy a box of assorted cookies.
I asked her price of box. She told me five dollars. I told her it was high price for little box of cookies. She told me money was for Girl Scouts. So I agreed to pay high price for little box of assorted cookies. Little girls left, and I opened box to eat cookies.
assorted (Adj) — mixed, various, different types
assortment (N) — having one of each kind; variation, mixture
Correct or Incorrect?
- Select the option that best describes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Cultural Knowledge - Kids Born After 1999
Determine whether the noun is identified and should include "the".
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.
"The Beloit College Mindset List: Class of 2021." The Beloit College Mindset Lists. By Tom McBride. 2020 (21 Aug 2017?). themindsetlist.com/2017/08/beloit-college-mindset-list-class-2021. Accessed 3 Jan 2020.
Practice 3
One Thing Leads to Another
Read for Errors
If you give mouse cookie, he’ll probably ask for glass of milk. Then, he will probably need straw for milk. His whiskers will be dirty, so he will ask for napkin. Napkin will be dirty, so he’ll need to throw it away. He’ll see that garbage is full, so he’ll offer to take it out. His hands will be dirty, so he’ll want to wash them in sink.
He’ll probably ask for towel. Towel will remind him of his blanket and his bed. Then, he’ll ask for blanket to take nap. While he takes nap, you'll probably want to remove mouse from your house. Otherwise, he will ask for cookie all over again.
whiskers (N) – coarse long hair around the mouth of a mouse
Adapted from
Numeroff, Laura Joffe and Felicia Bond. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Harper & Row, 1985.
Edit for Errors
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button. Corrections are marked with asterisks: *a* or *the*.