D Write: Put in a, some, any or '-'. Alternatives are possible. AT YOUR SERVICE, SIR!

¹... - robots are common in industry and perhaps they will soon be common in the home. ²...robot working in the home must be able to behave like³... human. You could ask it to make breakfast for you. 'I'd like⁴... pot of coffee, please and ⁵... boiled eggs.' 'How many, sir?' Two please.' You wouldn't have to worry about bringing friends home to dinner. 'I've brought⁶... friends for dinner,' you would say, 'please prepare⁷... meal for six.' Your robot would be⁸... cook,⁹... servant and ¹⁰... cleaner, and perhaps it could even do the shopping. 'We haven't got¹¹... tomatoes,' you would say. 'Be¹²... good robot and get some from the supermarket.'¹³... robots would never need to sleep, and would never complain. But I wouldn't want them wandering round the house at night!!

 

3.2A The use of 'a / an' when something is mentioned for the first time [> LEG 3.8, 3.10.2]

We use a / an to introduce a person or thing for the first time. This shows that the listener or reader doesn't know what we are referring to. After this first reference, we use the .I watched a car as it came up our road. The car stopped outside our house and a man got out. The man was carrying a case in his hand. With the case in his hand, the man looked like a salesman.

Write: Supply a / an or the in the following text.

During our journey we came to ¹... a...bridge. As we were crossing ²... bridge, we met ³...old man and spoke to him.⁴... man refused to answer us at first. He could tell at a glance that we had escaped from ⁵... prisoner-of-war camp and he was afraid of getting into trouble. We weren't⁶... first prisoners of war to have escaped from ⁷... camp. As soon as Jim produced⁸...revolver,⁹... man proved very willing to answer our questions. He told us exactly where we were and directed us to ¹⁰... farm where we might find food.

 

3.2B The difference between 'a / an' and 'one' [> leg 3.10.1, 3.11]

1 We do not use a/an + noun and one + noun in the same way. We use a/an to mean 'any one': I'd like a coffee,please. We use one when we are counting: It was one coffee I ordered and not two.

2 We use one with day, morning, evening when we are telling a story: One day,when I was working as a salesman, I received a strange telephone call. Compare: / had to stay in bed for a day. (= any day, it doesn't matter which) / had to stay in bed for one day. (= one day and not two or more)

3 We use a/an or one with:

- Whole numbers: a/one hundred, thousand.

- Fractions: a/one quarter, half, third, fourth, fifth

- Money: a/one pound, dollar,

- Weights, measures: a/one kilo, foot.

Write: Supply a/an or one in these sentences. Note where you can use either a/an or one.

1 I need a picture-hook to hang this picture. 2 Did you say you wanted... picture-hook or two? 3... nail won't be enough for this job. I need several. 4 You should use... hammer to drive in those nails. 5 How many orange juices did you say? Just... orange juice, please. 6 You should get out into the fresh air on... day like this! 7... day, many years later, I learnt the truth. 8 I was out walking late... evening when I saw... strange object in the sky. 9 He says he's going to be... millionaire...day. 10 There were over... hundred people at the party. 11 Have you ever seen... silent movie? 12 I've only ever seen... silent movie.

 

3.2C 'A/an' for price, distance and frequency: '80p a kilo' [> leg 3.12]

- price/weight: 80p a kilo;

- distance/speed: 40 km an hour;

- distance/fuel: 30 miles a (or to the) gallon (английский галлон = 4,54 л; американский = 3,785 л) equal to four quarts (in Britain to approximately 1.13 litres and in the US to approximately 0.94 litre);

- frequency/time: twice a day

Write: Write complete answers to these questions.

1 How much are these apples? 90p/kilo They're 90p a kilo. 2 How often do you take these pills? once/day3 What speed are we doing? 100 km/hour4 How many miles a gallon do you do? 45 miles/gallon 5 How often is the rubbish collected? twice/week 6 What does olive oil cost? £3/litre

Mile (also statute mile) a unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1.609 kilometres)

 

3.2D 'A/an' or zero with reference to illnesses: 'a cold' [> leg 3.15]

1 We always use a/an with these illnesses: a cold, a headache, a sore throat.

We can use or omit a/an with these: catch (a) cold, have (a/an) backache/earache/stomachache /toothache.

3 We use no article at all with these plurals: measles кір, mumps or paroti(di)tis «свинка» або паротит, shingles опоясуючий лишай.