ARTICLES - Questions & Answers
A Complete each sentence with the suitable form of the indefinite article.
- It took me an hour to reach the town.
- A snow leopard was spotted here last evening.
- An appliance usually comes with a user manual.
- Maldives is a group of islands.
- Metre is a unit of measurement.
- My uncle works in a European country.
- Pihu was the first person in her family to get a university education.
- Abdul found a golden bowl under the banyan tree in the park.
B Read the beginning of a short story by the British writer Saki. Complete the sentences with a, an or the.
It was a hot afternoon, and the railway carriage was correspondingly sultry, and the next stop was at Templecombe, nearly an hour ahead. The occupants of the carriage were a small girl, a smaller girl and a small boy. An aunt belonging to the children occupied one corner seat, and the further corner seat on the opposite side was occupied by a bachelor who was a stranger to their party, but the small girls and the small boy emphatically occupied the compartment. Both the aunt and the children were conversational in a limited, persistent way, reminding one of the attentions of a housefly that refuses to be discouraged.
'Don't, Cyril, don't,' exclaimed the aunt, as the small boy began smacking the cushions of the seat, producing a cloud of dust at each blow. 'Come and look out of the window,' she added.
C Rewrite these sentences using the correct articles.
1. Himalayas are the youngest mountains on the earth.
The Himalayas are the youngest mountains on the earth.
2. The Germany and Netherlands are neighbours.
Germany and the Netherlands are neighbours.
3. Rijju is a lawyer in Supreme Court.
Rijju is a lawyer in the Supreme Court.
4. The sooner you come, better it is.
The sooner you come, the better it is.
5. Although only teenager, he talks with maturity of an old man.
Although only a teenager, he talks with the maturity of an old man.
6. My uncle has a travelling company in Maldives.
My uncle has a travelling company in the Maldives.
7. British once ruled over large parts of world.
The British once ruled over large parts of the world.
8. My parents cook the dinner after they come back from office.
My parents cook dinner after they come back from the office.
9. 'Thank you for wonderful lunch!' I wrote.
'Thank you for the wonderful lunch!' I wrote.
10. A dentist asked Ruma to avoid the warm food for week.
The dentist asked Ruma to avoid warm food for a week.
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Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
To which larger grammatical class of determiners do articles belong?
Answer
Articles belong to the larger grammatical class of determiners.
Question
What are the two types of articles in English?
Answer
The definite article ('the') and the indefinite article ('a'/'an').
Question
Why are 'a' and 'an' known as the indefinite articles?
Answer
Because they do not point out any specific person or thing, but rather talk about things in general.
Question
Why is 'the' known as the definite article?
Answer
Because it points to a particular or specific person or thing.
Question
Before what type of sound is the indefinite article 'a' used?
Answer
The article 'a' is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound.
Question
Give an example of using the article 'a' before a word that starts with a vowel letter but a consonant sound.
Answer
Examples include 'a uniform', 'a unit', or 'a ewe' (where 'u' and 'e' make a 'y' sound).
Question
Before what type of sound is the indefinite article 'an' used?
Answer
The article 'an' is used before singular countable nouns that begin with vowel sounds.
Question
Why is 'an' used before the word 'hour'?
Answer
Because the 'h' at the beginning of 'hour' is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound.
Question
Which indefinite article is used before abbreviations where the first letter is pronounced with a vowel sound, like 'M.A.'?
Answer
The article 'an' is used (e.g., 'an M.A.', 'an MLA').
Question
What is the function of the indefinite article 'a' or 'an' in a sentence like, 'Have you seen a pangolin?'
Answer
It is used before a singular countable noun to mean 'any one of its kind'.
Question
When is 'a' or 'an' used to introduce a noun for the first time?
Answer
It is used when a singular countable noun is mentioned for the first time.
Question
The indefinite article can be used before an expression of amount and ____.
Answer
number (e.g., a kilo, a triplet, a thousand).
Question
In the phrase 'one and a half', what word must follow 'one' for 'a' to be used?
Answer
The word 'half' must follow a whole number.
Question
How is the indefinite article used in expressions of frequency?
Answer
It is used to indicate frequency, such as in 'three times a day' or 'once a month'.
Question
In what type of expressive sentences are indefinite articles like 'a' used?
Answer
They are used in certain exclamatory expressions, such as 'What a shot!' or 'What a cheerful day!'
Question
Fill in the blank: It took me _____ hour to reach the town.
Answer
an
Question
Fill in the blank: Metre is _____ unit of measurement.
Answer
a
Question
Under what condition is the definite article 'the' used to refer to a person or thing?
Answer
'The' is used to refer to a particular or specific person or thing.
Question
The definite article 'the' is used when both the speaker and _____ know which person or thing is being referred to.
Answer
the audience
Question
How is the definite article 'the' used in relation to previously mentioned items?
Answer
It is used to refer to something or someone already mentioned before.
Question
What is the function of 'the' in the sentence, 'The bat is the only mammal that can fly'?
Answer
It is used with a singular noun to represent the whole class of that noun.
Question
Which word is an exception to the rule of using 'the' with a singular noun to represent a whole class?
Answer
The word 'man' when it refers to all human beings (e.g., 'Man has exploited the environment').
Question
With what types of water bodies is the definite article 'the' used?
Answer
It is used with the names of seas, oceans, gulfs, and rivers (e.g., 'the Pacific Ocean').
Question
What is a major type of water body with which 'the' is typically NOT used?
Answer
Lakes (e.g., Pangong Lake, not 'the Pangong Lake').
Question
The definite article 'the' is used with the names of groups of ____.
Answer
islands (e.g., 'the Hawaiian Islands').
Question
The definite article 'the' is used with the names of mountain _____, but not mountain _____.
Answer
ranges; peaks (e.g., 'the Himalayas' but 'Mount Everest').
Question
What types of publications and buildings typically require the definite article 'the'?
Answer
Sacred books (the Ramayana), newspapers (the Indian Express), and well-known buildings (the Charminar).
Question
Why is the definite article 'the' used with objects like the earth, the sun, and the moon?
Answer
Because they are names of unique objects.
Question
Before what kind of numbers and expressions is 'the' commonly used?
Answer
Before ordinal numbers and expressions like 'middle', 'top', 'only', 'same', and 'whole'.
Question
When referring to a population group, do you use 'the' before the nationality or the language?
Answer
You use 'the' before the nationality or community (the Japanese), but not before the language (Mandarin).
Question
Is an article used before the names of musical instruments?
Answer
Yes, the definite article 'the' is used (e.g., 'I am learning to play the veena').
Question
In what situations are indefinite articles 'a'/'an' NOT used?
Answer
They are not used before uncountable nouns (e.g., rice, news).
Question
Are articles generally used before the names of people?
Answer
No, we generally do not use any article before the names of people.
Question
Under what circumstance can 'the' be used with a person's name?
Answer
When there is more than one person of the same name and we are referring to just one of them (e.g., 'This is the Ragini I told you about').
Question
Under what circumstance can 'a' or 'an' be used with a person's name?
Answer
When we wish to express uncertainty about a person's identity (e.g., 'A Mr Sanjeev came looking for you').
Question
What is the general rule for using articles before the names of languages?
Answer
No article is used before the names of languages (e.g., 'Can you speak French?').
Question
What is the rule for using articles before the names of sports?
Answer
No article is used before the names of sports (e.g., 'I am good at football').
Question
Are articles typically used before the names of cities?
Answer
No, articles are not used before the names of cities (e.g., 'Manyata lives in Kohima').
Question
What is the general rule for using articles with the names of months?
Answer
No article is used when we use the names of months in a general sense (e.g., 'March is usually pleasant').
Question
What is the rule for using articles before academic subjects?
Answer
No article is used before the names of subjects (e.g., 'I am not very fond of maths').
Question
Are articles typically used before the names of meals like breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Answer
No, articles are not generally used before the names of meals.
Question
What is the exception to the rule of not using articles with meals?
Answer
Articles are used with special meals or when referring to a specific meal (e.g., 'We have organized a dinner in his honour'; 'How was the lunch today?').
Question
Name three fixed expressions that use articles.
Answer
Examples include 'all the', 'a few', 'a lot of', 'what a', and 'such a'.
Question
Name three fixed expressions that do not use articles.
Answer
Examples include 'by train', 'on foot', 'in bed', 'at work', and 'in prison'.
Question
In the context of media, an article is used before 'radio' (listening to _____ radio) but not 'TV' (watching _____ TV).
Answer
the; [no article]
Question
Explain the difference in article usage between 'I went to bed' and 'I sat on the bed'.
Answer
No article is used with 'bed' for the activity of sleeping, but 'the' is used when referring to the piece of furniture.
Question
What is the difference between being 'in school' and being 'in the school'?
Answer
'In school' refers to the general activity of attending school, while 'in the school' refers to being inside the physical building.
Question
According to the text, what is the difference between British and American English regarding the phrase 'in hospital'?
Answer
In British English, you say someone is 'in hospital' as a patient, while in American English, you say they are 'in the hospital'.
Question
Correct the sentence: 'Himalayas are the youngest mountains on the earth.'
Answer
'The Himalayas are the youngest mountains on the earth.'
Question
Correct the sentence: 'My uncle has a travelling company in Maldives.'
Answer
'My uncle has a travelling company in the Maldives.'
Question
Correct the sentence: 'British once ruled over large parts of world.'
Answer
'The British once ruled over large parts of the world.'
Question
Correct the sentence: 'Thank you for wonderful lunch!'
Answer
'Thank you for the wonderful lunch!'
Question
Correct the sentence: 'The sooner you come, better it is.'
Answer
'The sooner you come, the better it is.'