Year 5 English — Articles by sound and sense

Choose between a and an by the sound that follows, and use the when you mean a particular one.

Name: ________________________

1.Write "a" or "an": We waited for ____ hour at the station.
2.Write "a" or "an": My grandfather is ____ honest man.
3.Sort each noun by the word that goes in front of it.
Groups: a · an
- umbrella
- tiger
- hour
- book
- university
- apple
4.Which one is correct?
- a) a inkpot
- b) a ink pot
- c) an ink pot
- d) an inks pot
5.Why does "university" take "a" and not "an"?
- a) because it names a place
- b) because it begins with a y sound, not a vowel sound
- c) because it is a long word
- d) because it begins with a consonant letter
6.Sort each sentence by the word its gap needs.
Groups: a or an · the
- One day, ____ elephant walked into the village.
- ____ sun rose just after six.
- ____ moon was full last night.
- He heard ____ strange sound outside.
- There was ____ pencil lying on the desk.
- Please shut ____ door behind you.
7.Write "a" or "an": She studies at ____ university near her home.
8.Pair each sentence beginning with the ending that finishes it sensibly.
- For lunch I ate
- On the way home she bought
- At the gate he waited
- Last winter they visited
- an hour
- an orange
- a notebook
- a museum

Answer key — Year 5 English — Articles by sound and sense

1. an
2. an
3. book → a; apple → an; tiger → a; umbrella → an; university → a; hour → an
4. c) an ink pot
5. b) because it begins with a y sound, not a vowel sound
6. There was ____ pencil lying on the desk. → a or an; ____ sun rose just after six. → the; One day, ____ elephant walked into the village. → a or an; Please shut ____ door behind you. → the; He heard ____ strange sound outside. → a or an; ____ moon was full last night. → the
7. a
8. For lunch I ate → an orange; On the way home she bought → a notebook; At the gate he waited → an hour; Last winter they visited → a museum