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Articles MCQ (A / An / The) – Daily Practice Set with Answers
Practice Articles (A/An/The/Zero Article) MCQs for SSC, Banking, Railways,
TPSC/APSC/WBPSC/State PSC and other competitive exams. Instant feedback + solution helps you improve accuracy.
Rule tip: Use “an” with vowel sound (an hour), “a” with consonant sound (a university),
“the” for specific/unique (the sun), and zero article for general plural/uncountable (Books are useful).
Q1. Dickens is famous as a novelist and _________ essayist.
👁 24 views- Dickens is famous as a novelist and an essayist.
- Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound (essayist starts with /ˈɛ/).
- Indefinite article is used for non-specific singular nouns.
- A. a before “essayist” is incorrect due to vowel sound.
- C. the is for specific nouns known to listener.
- D. Zero article isn’t used with a singular countable noun here.
Q2. He is _________ cleverer of the two.
👁 14 viewsWhen comparing two things, we use the definite article with the comparative form: “the + adjective + of the two.” So, “the cleverer of the two” correctly identifies the item that is more clever among the pair. Using “a”/“an” or zero article is not correct in this construction. Example: “She is the taller of the two.”
For comparisons between two things, always pair the comparative with “the” and “of the two” (the taller of the two).
Two items → the + adjective + of the two
Q3. __________ hundred rupee note you found on the road belongs to me.
👁 20 viewsQ4. Help Age India is _______ NGO that provides reliefs to the elderly people.
👁 16 views- 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.
Q5. She did _______ MA in French literature.
👁 8 viewsUse 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.
Abbreviations and acronyms are sometimes read letter by letter, so the initial sound (vowel or consonant) matters for choosing a/an.
Before vowel sound → an | Before consonant sound → a
Q6. My garden's looking now that the daffodils are in flower.
👁 27 views- Rule: Use the for a specific thing both speaker and listener know about. Here, “the daffodils” are those in my garden.
- Why B is correct: “the daffodils” refers to a known, specific group in the garden.
- Why others are wrong:
- A. a – not correct for a plural, definite object here.
- C. one – incorrect determiner for plural, and odd here.
- D. None of these – unnecessary since a proper determiner exists.
Q7. It's _________ most expensive hotel in town.
👁 5 viewsUse 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.
With superlatives like the most ... or the best ..., always use the definite article the.
The + superlative (the tallest, the oldest, the most expensive).
Q8. ________ Mount Everest is in the Himalayas
👁 19 views- 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.
Q9. My mother is allergic to _______ cigarette smoke.
👁 26 views- 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.
Q10. I visited _________ store which sold furniture and paintings.
👁 22 views- 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.