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Articles: Practice Questions with Answers

11 practice questions on Articles, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.

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1. Q.1

   Fill in the blank: "She bought ___ umbrella because it looked like rain." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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   Answer: (B) an

   Solution:

   1. "Umbrella" starts with a vowel sound, so "an" is correct.
   2. This is also the first mention of a non-specific umbrella.

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2. Q.2

   Fill in the blank: "___ book on the table belongs to Reena." (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

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   Answer: (C) The

   Solution:

   1. "On the table" specifies exactly which book is meant, so it needs the definite article even though "book" alone could take "a".

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3. Q.3

   Fill in the blank: "He wants to become ___ IAS officer." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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   Answer: (B) an

   Solution:

   1. "IAS" is read aloud as individual letters, and the first letter, "I", is pronounced as the vowel sound "eye" — so it takes "an", the same rule as for any other vowel sound.

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4. Q.4

   Fill in the blank: "I saw a cat in the garden. ___ cat was black." (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

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   Answer: (C) The

   Solution:

   1. The cat has already been mentioned once ("a cat"), so the second reference uses "the", since it’s now specific and identified.

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5. Q.5

   Fill in the blank: "___ Ganges is one of the longest rivers in India." (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

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   Answer: (C) The

   Solution:

   1. Specific, well-known geographic features like major rivers conventionally take "the".

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6. Q.6

   Fill in the blank: "He is ___ honest man, and everyone trusts him." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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   Answer: (B) an

   Solution:

   1. "Honest" starts with a silent "h", so it begins with a vowel sound, requiring "an" despite the spelled consonant.

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7. Q.7

   Fill in the blank: "He completed ___ one-year course in just six months." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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   Answer: (A) a (because "one" starts with a "w" consonant sound)

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8. Q.8

   Fill in the blank: "She wants to become ___ engineer." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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   Answer: (B) an

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9. Q.9

   Fill in the blank: "___ Taj Mahal is located in Agra." (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

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   Answer: (C) The

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10. Q.10

    Fill in the blank: "She is ___ honest and hardworking employee." (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article

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    Answer: (B) an ("honest" starts with a silent "h", a vowel sound)

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11. Q.11

    Fill in the blank: "___ Sun rises in the east." (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

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    Answer: (C) The (a unique object)

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