The Use of Articles with Nouns Denoting Parts of the Day and Seasons

1. Parts of the Days

Exercise 1. Explain the use of articles with nouns denoting parts of the day.

1. It was almost noon.

2. “Lewis! What are you doing at this time of night?” I heard the well-known voice.

3. I sat all night reading.

4. On the evening of our departure the whole village turned out to give us the promised farewell dinner.

5. He used to spend the morning lying about the beach.

6. Toward midnight he saw the gleam of many lights.

7. It was high noon when I woke.

8. Twilight was falling when they came back to the great city.

9. At ten o’clock on a hot September evening he strolled idly down the street.

10. And in the afternoon I used to lie alone, and watch the sun get lower and lower.

11. He always slept late on Sunday morning.

12. It was not a warm afternoon.

13. I made my speech yesterday night.

14. The day was hot and muggy.

Exercise 2. Supply the required articles for nouns in the following sentences, playing special attention to those indicating parts of the day.

1. It was nearly ____ midnight, and Margaret rose to go.

2. It was ____ early morning when ____ train pulled into ____ station.

3. Outside was ____ cold, drizzling twilight.

4. It was ____ Saturday morning, and ____ week-end guests were coming.

5. It was ____ grey, cold day. By ____ nightfall, it would rain.

6. We got back to ____ inn as ____ night was falling.

7. I paid my first visit to them on ____ clear cold February night.

8. Martha’s talent for sleeping was extraordinary. If nobody went in to awaken her in ____ morning she would sleep till ____ noon, till two o’clock in ____ afternoon, even if she had gone to bed early ____ evening before.

9. Charles was in a hurry to get back home by ____ midnight.

10. Towards ____ evening he called at their house, but found no one at home.

11. On ____ Sunday morning ____ weather was showery.

12. ____ last evening the sirens went again.

13. She hastened out of ___ house and to ____ barn. ____ evening was coming on.

14. All ____ night ____ snow fell.

15. Each day, coming to ____ office, I looked forward to _____ evening.

16. It was ____ late afternoon and their shadows lay long across ____ road.

17. It was ____ summer afternoon, ____ last day of the Bar final examination.

18. ____ evening flowed on. I sat working in ____ late summer twilight.

19. As he drove me home through ____ June dusk, James suddenly told me that he had left his wife.

20. He pulled aside each curtain to make sure that ____ window behind it was latched for ____ night.

21. His secretary said that Kevin was free in ____ evening.

22. ____ day passed quietly.

23. Robert decided to kill a great many birds with one stone by spending ____ night in London.

24. ____ night was still, and almost tepid.

25. ____ couple next door wouldn’t leave until ____ morning.

26. They played tennis and ping-pong in ____ day, and in ____ evening, in accordance with ____ stiff routine of ____ place, they sat down to poker.

27. Surely nothing could be going on there so late at ____ night.

28. He let me sit up ____ night with him and give him ____ things to stop ____ pain.

29. It was ____ night, but ____ street was brightly lit.

Exercise 3. Supply the required articles for countable and uncountable nouns and nouns denoting parts of the day.

1. It was ____ blazing hot August morning and I tried to beg myself off.

2. ____ evening was falling, and as I turned back towards ____ house its upper windows shone like blazing shields in the last of ____ sunlight.

3. It was ____ wet, warm summer day and ____ windows of ____ drawing-room stood open.

4. My father’s hours became more irregular; sometimes he stayed in ____ house in ____ morning and sometimes both he and my mother were out all ____ day.

5. In ____ morning, grey and dark, we sat over our breakfast.

6. It was a little after seven on ____ summer morning.

7. I’ll tell you all about it ____ tomorrow night.

Exercise 4. Insert articles where necessary.

1. Outside it was ____ night. (Murdoch)

2. It was ____ warm summer night. (Snow)

3. ____ night outside seemed very quiet. (Greene)

4. It was ____ foggy evening in November. (Murdoch)

5. During ____ evening we played innumerable games of piquet … (Maugham)

6. It was ____ evening, and he was walking across the school grounds on his way home. (Saroyan)

7. He wondered what hour it was. ____ sun seemed to indicate ____ late morning …. (Greene)

8. I think it’s going to be ____fine morning, after all. (Shaw)

9. ____ morning was cold and sharp and sunny. (Greene)

10. It is ____ early morning. (Shaw)

11. We are going to have ____ ideal night. (Shaw)

12. ____ night being sharp and frosty, we trembled from ____ head to ____ foot. (Dickens)

13. It was early in ____afternoon. (Murdoch)

14. ____ night was ____windy one, with broken clouds drifting swiftly across ____ face of ____ three-quarter moon. (Conan Doyle)

15. ____ night came and he sent his sadness into his asleep. (Saroyan)

16. I was up at six in ____ morning. (I. Shaw)

17. She has had ____ bad night, probably ____ rather delirious night. (Shaw)

18. ____ machines at ____ factory were in perpetual motion ____ day and ____ night. (Murdoch)

19. It was about ten o’clock at ____ night. (Maugham)

20. I persuaded him to stay ____ night with me, and I put him into my own bed. (Maugham)

21. It was ____ morning after Roger had talked to me in ____ Park, and Margaret and I were sitting at breakfast. (Snow)

22. ____ day was by this time approaching; ____ West was dim, ____ East beginning to gleam. (Ch. Brontё)

23. On ____ bright January morning ____ telephones kept ringing in my office. (Snow)

24. I cannot describe to you ____ intense silence of ____ night. (Maugham)

25. I shall not forget ____ evening I spent with him. I had not intended to stay more than ____ hour, but he insisted that I should spend ____ night. (Maugham)

26. He painted and he read, and in ___ evening, when it was dark, they sat together on ____ veranda, smoking and looking at ____ night. (Maugham)

27. It was as lovely ____ morning as one could desire. (Jerome K. Jerome)

28. Every day I was up at ____ dawn, clearing, planting, working, on my house, and at ____ night when I threw myself on my bed it was to sleep like ____ log till ____ morning. (Maugham)

Exercise 5. Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article with nouns denoting the parts of the day.

1. It was ____ hot day and there were many files in ___ room.

2. At ___ dusk, on ____ evening of St Valentine’s Day Boldwood sat down to ____ supper as usual.

3. ____ morning was perfect but there was ____ suggestion of ____ approaching storm in ____ air.

4. It was ____ blue night with ____ full moon hanging over ____ city.

5. ____ day had been fine and warm, but at ____ coming of ____ night ____ air grew cold.

6. Even in ____ broad day she looks beautiful.

7. He awoke in ____ morning, feeling that something was wrong.

8. Don’t give me ____ milk. You know I hate it at this time of … day.

9. It was mad, she knew, to let him go and play ____ organ at this hour of ____ night.

10. On ____ day of his departure we had no classes.

11. On ____ warm September evening he strolled idly to ____ river.

12. ____ dawn was breaking among ____ olives, silvering their still leaves.

13. I came to Warley on ____ wet September morning.

14. It was ____ pleasant evening, warm and still.

15. When we started it was already ____ morning.

16. ____ next day, which was Friday, we got them all together, and met in ____ evening to pack.

17. I feared to see him on ____ day which followed this sleepless night.

18. The expected Monday was ____ wild, wet morning.

19. ____ night was cloudy and still very dark.

20. ____ next day his knee was badly swollen.

21. He spent most of ____ evening in ____ morning-room, playing ____ bridge.

22. It was ___ worse-than-usual night.

Exercise 6. Translate into English.

1. Утро было холодное и ветреное.

2. Был теплый летний вечер.

3. Настала ночь, и путешественники решили отдохнуть.

4. Он пишет с утра до ночи.

5. Он переночевал у приятеля.

6. Он провел бессонную ночь и был очень бледен.

7. Приятно поехать за город в ясный летний день.

8. И днем и ночью он думал об одном.

9. Было прекрасное утро – солнечное и тихое.

10. Было раннее утро, и все в доме еще спали.

Exercise 7. Translate into English.

1. Мы решили расположиться на ночь у реки.

2. День только что занялся, и воздух был чист и прохладен.

3. Было далеко за полдень, когда мы остановились на привал.

4. Это случилось одним пасмурным сентябрьским утром.

5. Ненастный день подходил к концу, закат обещал хорошую погоду.

6. Рано утром, до завтрака, спортсмены ходили на ручку купаться.

7. Вечер был влажный и прохладный.

8. Был холодный и ветреный день.

9. Мы приедем в Москву рано утром, проведем день в городе, поздно вечером сядем на поезд и на следующий день к ночи будем на месте.

10. Была уже ночь; но, к счастью, это была летняя ночь, и погода стояла сухая.