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) parents __________ went to university, but neither of them finished their degree.

a both      b every      c either

2) Nearly __________ of classmates are going to the end-of-term party.

a every      b most      c all

3) 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) 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 ____ 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.