Articles with Jobs and Nationalities Exercises

In English, job titles always need "a" or "an" after the verb "be": "She is a doctor," "He is an engineer." This is different from many other languages where you can say "She is doctor" without an article. Forgetting this article is one of the most common mistakes for English learners. Every time you describe what someone does for work, remember to include "a" or "an" before the job title: "My father is a teacher," "Her brother is an architect."

Nationality adjectives do not take an article: "She is French," "He is Japanese." However, when you talk about a whole nationality group, use "the" with the adjective: "The French are known for their food." Religion names also take no article: "She practises Islam," "He studies Buddhism." But followers of a religion need "a" or "an": "She is a Muslim," "He is a Buddhist." The key rule is that English always needs an article before a singular noun describing someone's role or identity. This is frequently tested in B1 Preliminary and B2 First examinations.