English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Articles and quantifiers

1. Complete the text with a, an, the or nothing (-), if no article is required.

Although 1…………………… British are more health-conscious than they used to be, many of them still like to eat 2…………………… bacon for breakfast once or twice 3…………………… week. But most are unaware that there is 4…………………… unusual custom surrounding bacon. 5…………………… custom is known to date back hundreds of years to 6…………………… 13th century or even earlier.

According to tradition, 7…………………… married couple could win a large piece of bacon if they could prove to a judge that they had not regretted their marriage or had 8…………………… argument for at least 9…………………… year and 10…………………… day. In one town, Dunmow, 11…………………… couple had to kneel on sharp stones and say 12…………………… special poem which ended with the lines: ‘For this is our custom at Dunmow well known, Though the pleasure be ours, the bacon’s your own.’ After 13…………………… poem, there was a noisy parade around town. Dunmow claims to be the only town in 14…………………… Britain which still continues 15…………………… tradition to this day.

2. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1   My parents …………………… went to university, but neither of them finished their degree.

     a   both      b   every      c   either

2   Nearly …………………… of my classmates are going to the end-of-term party.

     a   every      b   most      c   all

3   My grandfather left £1,000 to …………………… of his grandchildren.

     a   each      b   every      c   either

4   The best thing about this Indian restaurant is that …………………… dish tastes different.

     a   another      b   all      c   every

5   We’ve hardly spent …………………… time together this holiday.

     a   all      b   any      c   whole

3. Complete the sentences with few, a few, little or a little.

1   Your homework would be better if you spent …………………… more time on it.

2   These days, there are so …………………… opportunities to escape from technology.

3   I’ve invited Claudia to the party, but frankly there’s …………………… chance she’ll come.

4   Anna is spending the weekend with …………………… of her friends from school.

5   As the detective was leaving the room, he noticed …………………… blook on the wall.

6   Soya beans contain a lot of protein and very …………………… fat.

7   Many people start writing a novel, but …………………… people actually finish.

8   My grandmother spent …………………… years in India when she was a child.

4. Add of to these sentences only when it is necessary in order to make the sentence correct.

1   I gave Christmas presents to all ……… my friends.

2   Lions spend much ……… their time sleeping.

3   Both ……… his sisters went to this school.

4   Each ……… us understood how serious the situation was.

5   It was so hot that I spent the whole ……… night awake.

6   Are many ……… your friends going to university?

5. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence. Use the words in brackets.

1   We didn’t see any polar bears in Alaska. (no)

      We ……………………………………… in Alaska.

2   There were very few people in the square. (any)

      There ……………………………………… in the square.

3   He gave each of the children a copy of his new book. (every)

     He gave ……………………………………… of his new book.

4   We couldn’t eat all of the cake – it was huge! (whole)

      We couldn’t ……………………………………… it was huge!

5   He spent most of his holiday in bed with sunstroke. (nearly)

     He spent ……………………………………… in bed with sunstroke.