🏖️ Game homework · A1–A2 · 5–7 min
📘 Fits Life Vision Elementary, Intro 0.2 and Unit 7
Articles a, an, the (and no article): a game homework
A day at the beach: order breakfast from Marta, buy fruit from Paco, ask Don Ramón about the bus.
holatown.com/play?learn=en&hw=articles-a-an-the
The grammar in 3 lines
- A or an for one thing, any one, or the first time we say it: a coffee, a banana. An before a vowel sound: an orange, an egg, an hour.
- The for the one we both know, or the only one: the white coffee on the tray, the bus to the beach, the sun.
- No article for things in general: I like dogs, bananas are good. But a job always takes a or an: I’m a student.
| In the game | Why |
|---|---|
| A coffee, please. | one coffee, any one: a |
| The white coffee is mine. | the one on the tray we both see: the |
| I like bananas. | bananas in general: no article |
| I’m a student. | jobs take a / an (“soy estudiante” has none) |
Why a game works for articles a, an, the
Made for the mistakes Spanish speakers make
“I’m student”, “I like the dogs”, “a orange”: every classic slip is in the story, and each one gets its own funny reaction.
The article changes what you get
Ask Marta for “the coffee” and she asks which of her two hundred. Say “to beach” and Paco asks if you mean a beach on the moon.
Short, with a fair score
Nine grammar moments and Don Ramón’s five-question check, all within a minute’s walk. Only first tries count.
Teacher instructions
- Revise a / an, the and no article in class, or send it as a first diagnostic: the score shows what each student already knows.
- Send the homework link to the class chat or write it on the board.
- Students open it on a phone or laptop, with no sign-up, and play until the “Homework done” card (5–7 minutes).
- They type their name and send you a screenshot of that card: score, date and a check code.
- Next lesson: start with two minutes on the “To review” items most students share (often jobs and things in general).
Homework link: https://holatown.com/play?learn=en&hw=articles-a-an-the
What students send you: A “Homework done ✓” card with the student’s name, the topic, the score (first tries only), stars, the date and time, the time spent, a check code (HT-…) and a “To review” list of their first-try mistakes. You can check a code with the student’s name and score: same name, date and score always give the same code.
For the board: “Play the Hola Town mission at holatown.com/play?learn=en&hw=articles-a-an-the and send me a screenshot of the ‘Homework done’ screen.”
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Join the free pilotQuestions about this homework
What level is this homework for?
A1 to A2. It also works as a quick check for B1 students who still say “I’m student” or “I like the cats”.
Why articles?
Spanish and Catalan use articles differently: “soy estudiante” has none, “me gustan los perros” has one. So learners drop a / an with jobs and add the to things in general. The mission drills exactly those two.
Which coursebook unit does it go with?
Any A1–A2 course: a / an comes with singular nouns (Life Vision Elementary, Intro 0.2) and with jobs (Unit 7). Play it any time articles come up.
Is this homework free?
Yes. Teachers and tutors in our pilot (15 places) get every homework mission free for their students. Join from the teachers page.
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