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Choose an answer, then open the short learning card. Explanations are kept small so students can continue practising without losing rhythm.
Q11. Joe Corrie's "Hewers of Coal" is _________ one-act play.
Explanation: Use a/an before a singular countable noun when it is not specific. Here, "one-act" describes the type of play, and "Hewers of Coal" is the title. We are naming the kind of work, so we say "a one-act play." Use "the" only if referring to a specific known play. Example: She directed a short film, not the short film. ? Did You Know? Before a word that begins with a consonant sound, use a; before a vowel sound, use an. ? Remember: a before consonant sound β a one-act play
Q12. Dickens is famous as a novelist and _________ essayist.
Correct option: B Dickens is famous as a novelist and an essayist. Why this is correct Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound (essayist starts with /ΛΙ/). Indefinite article is used for non-specific singular nouns. Why others are wrong A. a before βessayistβ is incorrect due to vowel sound. C. the is for specific nouns known to listener. D. Zero article isnβt used with a singular countable noun here.
Q13. He is _________ cleverer of the two.
Explanation: When comparing two things, we use the definite article with the comparative form: βthe + adjective + of the two.β So, βthe cleverer of the twoβ correctly identifies the item that is more clever among the pair. Using βaβ/βanβ or zero article is not correct in this construction. Example: βShe is the taller of the two.β ? Did You Know? For comparisons between two things, always pair the comparative with βtheβ and βof the twoβ (the taller of the two). ? Remember: Two items β the + adjective + of the two
Q14. __________ hundred rupee note you found on the road belongs to me.
"The" is used to indicate specific note mentioned here.
Q15. Help Age India is _______ NGO that provides reliefs to the elderly people.
Explanation Correct: an because NGO is pronounced starting with a vowel sound: /en-jee-oh/. Rule: Use a before a word with a consonant sound; an before a vowel sound; the for a definite item; zero article for general/plural nouns. Other options: the NGO specifies a particular NGO; a NGO is incorrect; None of these is wrong because an fits.
Q16. She did _______ MA in French literature.
Explanation: Use the article that matches the SOUND that starts the next word. "MA" is pronounced as "em-ay," beginning with a vowel sound, so we say "an MA in French literature." The rule: an before vowel sounds, a before consonant sounds. Other options fail: "a MA" would sound wrong, and "one MA" is unnecessary here. ? Did You Know? Abbreviations and acronyms are sometimes read letter by letter, so the initial sound (vowel or consonant) matters for choosing a/an. ? Remember: Before vowel sound β an | Before consonant sound β a
Q17. My garden's looking now that the daffodils are in flower.
Correct answer: B Rule: Use the for a specific thing both speaker and listener know about. Here, βthe daffodilsβ are those in my garden. Why B is correct: βthe daffodilsβ refers to a known, specific group in the garden. Why others are wrong: A. a β not correct for a plural, definite object here. C. one β incorrect determiner for plural, and odd here. D. None of these β unnecessary since a proper determiner exists.
Q18. It's _________ most expensive hotel in town.
Explanation: Use the definite article the before a superlative to refer to a specific item that is at the top of a group. In "It's the most expensive hotel in town," the hotel is singled out as having the highest price among all hotels there, so we need the definite article "the." A is incorrect because it does not indicate a specific item; C (one) is not used with superlatives; D is not needed since B is correct. ? Did You Know? With superlatives like the most ... or the best ..., always use the definite article the. ? Remember: The + superlative (the tallest, the oldest, the most expensive).
Q19. ________ 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.
Q20. My mother is allergic to _______ cigarette smoke.
Answer: D (none of these) Reason: βcigarette smokeβ is an uncountable noun used in a general sense. No article is needed before it: βallergic to cigarette smoke.β 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.