EX.3 Articles: a/an, the

Insert "a", "an" or "the" if necessary. Put "-" for the zero article.

1. There was knock on door. I opened it and found small dark man in blue overcoat and woollen cap.
2. He said he was employee of gas company and had come to read meter.
3. But I had suspicion that he wasn't speaking truth because meter readers usually wear peaked caps.
4. However, I took him to meter, which is in dark corner under stairs ( meters are usually in dark corners under stairs).
5. I asked if he had torch; he said he disliked torches and always read meters by light of match.
6. I remarked that if there was leak in gaspipe, there might be explosion while he was reading meter.
7. He said, "As matter of fact, there was explosion in last house I visited; and Mr Smith, owner of house, was burnt in face."
8 " Mr Smith was holding lighted match at time of explosion."
9. To prevent possible repetition of this accident, I lent him torch.
10. He switched on torch, read meter and wrote reading down on back of envelope.
11. I said in [?] surprise that meter readers usually put readings down in book.
12. He said that he had had book but that it had been burnt in fire in Mr Smith's house.
13. By this time I had come to conclusion that he wasn't genuine meter reader; and moment he left house I rang police.
14. - Are John and Mary cousins? - No, they aren't cousins; they are brother and sister.
15. fog was so thick that we couldn't see side of road. We followed car in front of us and hoped that we were going right way.
16. I can't remember exact date of storm, but I know it was Sunday because everybody was at church. On Monday post didn't come because roads were blocked by fallen trees.
17. Peter thinks that this is quite cheap restaurant.
18. - There's been murder here. - Where's body? - There isn't body. - Then how do you know there's been murder?
19. Number hundred and two, house next door to us, is for sale. It's quite nice house with big rooms. back windows look out on park.
20. I don't know what price owners are asking. But Dry and Rot are agents. You could give them ring and make them offer.
21. postman's little boy says that he'd rather be dentist than doctor, because dentists don't get called out at night.
22. Just as air hostess (there was only one on the plane) was handing me cup of coffee plane gave lurch and coffee went all over person on other side of gangway.
23. There was collision between car and cyclist at crossroads near my house early in morning. cyclist was taken to hospital with concussion. driver of car was treated for shock. witnesses say that car was going at seventy miles hour.
24. Professor Jones, man who discovered new drug that everyone is talking about, refused to give press conference.
25. Peter Piper, student in professor's college, asked him why he refused to talk to press.
26. We're going to tea with Smiths today, aren't we? Shall we take car? - We can go by car if you wash car first. We can't go to Mrs Smith's in car all covered with mud.
27. He got job in south and spent next two years doing work he really enjoyed.
28. It is pleasure to do business with such efficient organization.
29. day after day passed without news, and we began to lose hope.
30. - Would you like to hear story about Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman? - No. I've heard stories about Englishmen, Irishmen and Scotsmen before and they are all same.
31. But mine is not typical story. In my story Scotsman is
generous, Irishman is logical and Englishman is romantic. - Oh, if it's fantastic story I'll listen with pleasure.
32. My aunt lived on ground floor of old house on River Thames. She was very much afraid of burglars and always locked up house very carefully before she went to bed. She also took precaution of looking under bed to see if burglar was hiding there.
33. " modern burglars don't hide under beds," said her daughter. "I'll go on looking just same," said my aunt.
34. One morning she rang her daughter in triumph. "I found burglar under bed last night," she said, "and he was quite young man."
35. apples are sold by pound. These are forty pence pound.
36. It was windy morning but they hired boat and went for sail along coast. In afternoon wind increased and they soon found themselves in difficulties.