B1 PRELIMINARY · GRAMMAR · READING PART 6 & WRITING
Articles and quantifiers
a / an / the, some / any, much / many / a lot of, a few / a little.
Finn says
Small words like 'a', 'the', 'some' and 'many' are easy to get wrong – and they're very common answers in Reading Part 6. Let's sort them out!
Articles
a / an
one, when you first mention it
I've got a dog and an old cat.
the
when we know which one, or there is only one
The dog is called Max. The sun is hot.
no article
general ideas, most countries, meals
I love music. We have lunch at one.
Quantifiers
some / any
some in positives · any in negatives and questions
I have some money. Is there any milk?
much / many
much + uncountable · many + countable (often in questions and negatives)
How many people? There isn't much time.
a lot of / lots of
with both, in positive sentences
She has a lot of friends.
a few / a little
a small number / amount
a few apples, a little sugar
How it comes up in Part 6
In Reading Part 6 you write one word in each gap. The missing words are often small grammar words like these.
Is there any bread left? I want to make a sandwich.
A question: any.
How many brothers and sisters have you got?
Countable (brothers) in a question: how many.
She's an engineer at a big company.
A job, and the next word starts with a vowel sound: an.
Common mistakes
- ✗ She is teacher.✓ She is a teacher.Use 'a' or 'an' with jobs.
- ✗ How much people came?✓ How many people came?'People' is countable: many.
- ✗ I haven't got some money.✓ I haven't got any money.In negatives, use 'any'.
Finn's exam tip
Ask yourself: can I count it? Apples, people, friends → many / a few. Water, time, money → much / a little. And in questions and negatives, 'any' is usually right.
Quick check
Write one word in each gap.
🇪🇸 Guía en español: Cómo preparar el B1 Preliminary (PET): guía paso a paso →
Practice → Check → Learn → Repeat ↻