Welcome, Guest
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 βanβ with vowel sound (an hour), βaβ with consonant sound (a university),
βtheβ for specific/unique (the sun), and zero article for general plural/uncountable (Books are useful).
Q1. Give me __________ one-rupee note.
π 18 viewsQ2. English is the mother tongue of _________ English.
π 28 viewsQ3. Nelson was __________ boy without fear.
π 22 viewsQ4. __________ book you want is out of print.
π 22 viewsQ5. He is not _________ honourable man.
π 13 viewsQ6. My wife and I have _________ appointment.
π 16 viewsQ7. It is ________ one-day cricket match.
π 12 viewsUse the indefinite article a before singular countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound. The phrase one-day starts with the sound /w/ (as in "one" pronounced "wuhn"), which is a consonant sound, so we say βa one-day cricket match.β If the word began with a vowel sound, weβd use an (e.g., an hour, an honest person, where the h is silent).
One tricky rule: the choice of a vs an depends on pronunciation, not spelling.
Before a word, use a β starting with a consonant sound; use an β starting with a vowel sound.
Q8. He is _______ honourable man.
π 7 viewsQ9. He will join _______ army.
π 24 viewsthe
We use the definite article "the" with "army" here because it refers to a specific armyβthe military force that the person is joining. "Join the army" is a common fixed collocation. Using "a" or "an" would imply any army, which is not the intended meaning, and "zero article" is incorrect for a singular, countable noun in this fixed sense.
Use "the" with singular nouns when you refer to a specific, identifiable thing (the army, the sun, the door). "A" or "an" introduces a non-specific item. Zero article is common with plurals and uncountables or when speaking in general terms.
He joined the army after finishing school.
Q10. Iron is _______ useful metal.
π 8 viewsUse the indefinite article a before a singular countable noun when it starts with a consonant sound. Here, the noun phrase is βa useful metal.β The word βusefulβ begins with a consonant sound (/ΛjuΛ/ acts like a consonant sound here), so we say βa useful metal.β Do not use an before it because βusefulβ starts with a consonant sound. Another example: βShe is a useful helper.β
Indefinite articles a/an are chosen by sound, not just by the first letter. Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.
Before a word with a consonant sound β a.