5 exercises — choosing the/a/an, this/these, and each/every/all in API docs, READMEs, and incident reports.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
In an API reference you write: "_____ request must include a valid Bearer token." Which determiner is correct?
Every is correct here. "Every request" means each individual request in the set — it is used with singular countable nouns to make universal statements in technical documentation: "Every endpoint requires authentication", "Every response includes a request ID", "Every migration must be reversible." "Each" would also work and is slightly more formal. "A request" would only describe one unspecified request, not a universal rule. "This request" refers to a specific, already-mentioned request. "Some" implies a subset, which contradicts the universal intent.
2 / 5
You're explaining a concept in a README: "_____ cache is a temporary data store that reduces database load." Which article fits best?
A is correct for a generic definition. When you define what something is in general — introducing a concept to a reader unfamiliar with it — use the indefinite article "a/an": "A microservice is a single-responsibility service", "An ORM is a library that maps objects to database tables." "The" would imply a specific cache the reader already knows about. "This" would refer to a specific cache just mentioned. "Each" requires a plural context ("each cache in the cluster"). For first-mention definitions in technical documentation, use "a" or "an."
3 / 5
In a post-mortem you write: "_____ database servers experienced elevated latency during the incident." You mean all three servers in your cluster. Which determiner is correct?
All is correct when referring to the entire group together with a plural noun: "All database servers", "All affected users", "All three replicas". "Every" and "each" require a singular noun ("every server", "each server") and emphasise individual members. "All" with a plural noun treats the group as a whole — natural for incident reports when summarising group-level impact. "Some" would imply a subset, contradicting "all three." Use "all + plural noun" for collective statements, "every/each + singular noun" when emphasising individual cases.
4 / 5
A design doc refers back to an architecture decision made earlier: "_____ approach reduces coupling between services." Which determiner signals you're referring to the specific approach just described?
This is correct for pointing back to something just introduced or described. Demonstrative determiners ("this", "these", "that", "those") are essential in technical writing for cohesion — they tie sentences together without repeating the full noun phrase: "This pattern allows horizontal scaling", "These constraints simplify testing", "This decision was driven by latency requirements." "A" would imply an unspecified, new approach. "Any" is used for open conditions ("any approach that reduces coupling"). Using "this" correctly shows the reader exactly which approach you mean.
5 / 5
In a Slack message: "I've pushed _____ fix to the staging branch — can you review it?" Which article is correct?
A is correct because this is the first mention of this specific fix in the conversation — the listener doesn't yet know which fix you mean. The indefinite article "a" introduces new, unidentified information: "I've opened a PR", "I've added a test", "I've filed a ticket." If you had already discussed the fix ("Remember that memory leak fix?"), you would switch to "the" — the definite article is used when both speaker and listener share knowledge of the specific thing: "I've pushed the fix we discussed." This first-mention vs. second-mention distinction is one of the most important article rules in English.