Do you always know whether to use a, an, the, or no article at all? Although there are rules to help you, there are also a lot of exceptions and a lot of fine distinctions to be made, so learning to use articles accurately takes a long time. However, to really master article usage, you should also read a great deal, notice how articles are used, and make notes.
Before we look in more detail at how the English article system works, it is worth checking which areas of the system you can use confidently and which you are less sure about. That will help you focus on the relevant section of the unit; you may not need to study all of the sections.
Below are two short tests of English article use, for you to assess how confident you are that you can get the answers right.
Decide in each case whether the underlined numbered space should be filled with THE, A, AN or ZERO (no article).
Test 1: New rules for Everest climbers
Expeditions on _(1)_ Mount Everest will be more closely monitored than before from _(2)_ next year, according to _(3)_ BBC. _(4)_ Nepalese officials say that for _(5)_ first time, _(6)_ government team will be located at _(7)_ base camp. They will monitor and help _(8)_ expedition teams, coordinate _(9)_ rescues and protect _(10)_ environment. _(11)_ change follows _(12)_ embarrassing incidents on _(13)_ slopes of _(14)_ world's tallest mountain, including _(15)_ fight between _(16)_ sherpas and _(17)_ mountaineers.