Welcome, Guest
📚 Articles & Determiners Practice
Choose an answer, then open the short learning card. Explanations are kept small so students can continue practising without losing rhythm.
Q1. ________ Mount Everest is in the Himalayas
Explanation in simple English Correct: the Rule: Use the definite article the for a specific, identifiable thing or a known landmark (e.g., the Himalayas). Here, Mount Everest is treated as a known landmark in that range. Why others wrong: A. a is incorrect for a specific, unique mountain. C. one is not a determiner for this sentence. D. None of these is incorrect since B is correct.
Q2. My mother is allergic to _______ cigarette smoke.
Answer: D (none of these) Reason: “cigarette smoke” is an uncountable noun used in a general sense. No article is needed before it: “allergic to cigarette smoke.” Rule: Use a/an for a singular count noun; the for a specific noun; zero article for general, non-count nouns. Why other options fail: a or an would wrongly imply a single cigarette smoke; the would refer to specific cigarette smoke, which is not intended here.
Q3. I visited _________ store which sold furniture and paintings.
Correct answer: a Reason: Use the indefinite article a before a non-specified singular noun: I visited a store. Grammar rule: a/an are used with singular, countable nouns; use a before consonant sounds (a store), and an before vowel sounds (an idea). Why others are wrong: the – refers to a specific store.
Q4. _______ gift she gave him was very expensive.
The
The is used before a noun that is specific or already known to both speaker and listener. In this sentence, the gift is a particular gift that has been identified or referred to in context, so we use the definite article "the". A or An would introduce a non-specific gift, and No article would be incorrect for a singular countable noun here.
Use the definite article "the" for specific nouns already known or uniquely identifiable in context; use "a"/"an" for non-specific singular nouns; omit articles with plural or uncountable nouns where appropriate.
The book on the table is mine.
Q5. My mother bought me ______ new Pair of shoes.
"A" is the indefinite article used before singular countable nouns that start with a consonant sound.
Q6. He always practised _______ ahimsa.
No article needed
Ahimsa is an uncountable abstract noun referring to a concept/virtue. In general, abstract or uncountable nouns used in a broad sense do not take an article when referring to the concept itself (not a specific instance). Therefore, no article is required here: "practised ahimsa."
Use no article with uncountable/abstract nouns when speaking about the concept in general, unless you specify a particular instance or countable form.
He valued honesty above all else; he lived by honesty every day. (no article with the abstract noun used in general)
Q7. I first met him _______ year ago.
Explanation: Use an indefinite article before a singular countable noun. Choose "a" before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound. "Year" starts with a consonant sound /j/, so the correct form is "a year ago." The other options don’t fit: "an year" is wrong because "year" does not begin with a vowel sound; "the" and no article aren’t needed for a single, non-specific instance here. ? Did You Know? Indefinite articles are used when mentioning something for the first time or when it is not specific. ? Remember: Consonant sound → a; Vowel sound → an.
Q8. He sent _______ word that he would come soon.
Idea: In "He sent _______ word that he would come soon," the phrase is an idiom: "send word" meaning to inform someone. Correct answer: No article needed Rule: Use zero article with certain verbs in fixed expressions (send word, give notice, make way) where the noun is singular but the phrase is idiomatic. Why others are wrong: - A/an: would imply a specific, countable word; not used in this idiom. - the: would refer to a specific word already known, which isn’t the case here.
Q9. Last year I spent _______ few days in Mumbai with a cousin from America. (appropriate article)
"a few" is used to indicate a small, unspecified number of days spent in Mumbai with a cousin from America.
Q10. Her father is ____________ industrialist who emigrated year ago to the USA. (appropriate article)
"an" is used because "industrialist" begins with a vowel sound ( 'i' in "industrialist").