Articles Questions and Answers | General English Quiz

Practice these important Articles MCQs to master the correct use of a, an, the and zero article. These questions focus on common rules and tricky patterns frequently tested in SSC, Banking, Railway, NDA and other competitive exams.

Q1. He is ______ honest man.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“Honest” begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent. Therefore, an is used.

Q2. She is ______ university student.

A. an

B. the

C. a

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. a

“University” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so we use a university.

Q3. He waited for ______ hour.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

The “h” in “hour” is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound. Hence, an hour.

Q4. I saw ______ elephant in the zoo.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“Elephant” begins with a vowel sound, so an is used.

Q5. He bought ______ new car yesterday.

A. an

B. the

C. a

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. a

“Car” is a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time, so the indefinite article a is used.

Q6. She wants to become ______ engineer.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“Engineer” begins with a vowel sound, so the correct phrase is an engineer.

Q7. My father is ______ doctor.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

A singular countable noun referring to a profession takes an indefinite article. “Doctor” begins with a consonant sound, so a doctor is correct.

Q8. He is ______ MLA from Rajasthan.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“MLA” is pronounced beginning with the vowel sound /em/, so an MLA is correct.

Q9. She is ______ university professor.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“University” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so we say a university professor.

Q10. He is ______ European citizen.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“European” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so a European is correct.

Q11. This is ______ useful book.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“Useful” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so the correct article is a.

Q12. He is ______ heir to the property.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

The “h” in “heir” is silent, so it begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, an heir is correct.

Q13. She gave me ______ one-rupee coin.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“One” begins with the consonant sound /w/, so we use a one-rupee coin.

Q14. He is ______ NCC officer.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“NCC” is pronounced beginning with the vowel sound /en/, so an NCC officer is correct.

Q15. He is ______ best player in the team.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The superlative degree normally takes the definite article the: “the best.”

Q16. Mount Everest is ______ highest peak in the world.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

A superlative expression such as “highest peak” normally takes the.

Q17. This is ______ most interesting book I have read.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The superlative “most interesting” takes the definite article the.

Q18. He is ______ first person to arrive.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second” and “third” generally take the.

Q19. She won ______ second prize.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

An ordinal number referring to a particular position takes the.

Q20. He is ______ tallest boy in the class.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

“Tallest” is a superlative adjective, so it takes the.

Q21. ______ sun rises in the east.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

The sun is unique, so it takes the definite article the.

Q22. ______ moon shines at night.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

The moon is considered unique in this context, so the is used.

Q23. ______ earth moves around the sun.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

“Earth” refers to the unique planet, so the Earth is used in this construction.

Q24. ______ sky is full of stars tonight.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

The definite article is used because “sky” refers to the particular sky being observed.

Q25. We should help ______ poor.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

“The + adjective” can refer to a whole class of people, such as the poor.

Q26. ______ rich are not always happy.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

“The rich” means rich people as a group.

Q27. He belongs to ______ upper class.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

“Upper class” refers to a recognized social class, so the upper class is appropriate.

Q28. I have never seen ______ such beautiful place.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Place” is a singular countable noun, so it requires an article. “Such” is followed by a + singular noun: “such a beautiful place.”

Q29. It was ______ very difficult question.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Difficult” begins with a consonant sound and “question” is singular and countable, so a difficult question is correct.

Q30. She is ______ most intelligent student in the class.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Superlative expressions take the definite article the.

Q31. He plays ______ guitar very well.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The definite article is commonly used with musical instruments when speaking about the ability to play them: play the guitar.

Q32. She plays ______ piano.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Musical instruments generally take the in this construction.

Q33. He goes to ______ school every day.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

When “school” refers to the primary purpose of being a student, it is commonly used without an article.

Q34. His father went to ______ school to meet the principal.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Here “school” refers to a specific building or institution being visited, so the is used.

Q35. Children go to ______ bed early.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

“Go to bed” is a fixed expression referring to the activity of sleeping, so no article is used.

Q36. He sat on ______ bed.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

Here “bed” refers to a physical object, not the activity of sleeping. An indefinite article is therefore appropriate.

Q37. She went to ______ hospital to visit her friend.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: the

The sentence refers to a particular hospital being visited, so the hospital is appropriate.

Q38. He was admitted to ______ hospital after the accident.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: a

The sentence introduces a hospital as one of the possible hospitals, so the indefinite article a is appropriate.

Q39. He is in ______ prison for theft.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

When “prison” refers to its institutional purpose of confinement, it can be used without an article.

Q40. His wife went to ______ prison to meet him.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: the

Here “prison” refers to a particular prison building or institution being visited, so the is used.

Q41. India is ______ developing country.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: a

“Developing country” is a singular countable noun phrase, so it requires the indefinite article a.

Q42. Delhi is ______ capital of India.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: the

India has one capital, so the phrase refers to a specific unique entity: the capital of India.

Q43. Mumbai is ______ large city.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: a

“Large city” is a singular countable noun phrase introduced generally, so a is used.

Q44. ______ Ganga is a sacred river.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Names of rivers generally take the definite article the.

Q45. ______ Himalayas are covered with snow.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Mountain ranges take the definite article the.

Q46. ______ Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Individual mountain names generally do not take an article: Mount Everest.

Q47. ______ Indian Ocean is south of India.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Names of oceans take the definite article the.

Q48. ______ Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Names of oceans generally take the.

Q49. ______ Sahara is a vast desert.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Names of deserts generally take the definite article the.

Q50. ______ India is a democratic country.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Most country names do not take an article when used as proper names: India.

Q51. ______ United Kingdom is an island country.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

Country names containing words such as “Kingdom,” “States” or “Republic” generally take the.

Q52. ______ United States is a federal republic.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

“The United States” is the standard form because the name contains “States.”

Q53. ______ Netherlands is in Europe.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

“The Netherlands” is a country name that conventionally takes the definite article.

Q54. He lives in ______ United States.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The correct country name is the United States.

Q55. ______ Asia is the largest continent.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Names of continents generally do not take an article: Asia.

Q56. ______ European Union has many member states.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

The name “European Union” takes the definite article: the European Union.

Q57. He crossed ______ Pacific Ocean by ship.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Ocean names take the definite article.

Q58. She climbed ______ Alps last year.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Mountain ranges take the: “the Alps.”

Q59. He sailed across ______ Arabian Sea.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Names of seas take the definite article.

Q60. ______ Nile is one of the famous rivers of Africa.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

River names take the definite article.

Q61. He reads ______ Times every morning.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The names of many newspapers are used with the, such as “The Times.”

Q62. I read ______ Hindu every day.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

Newspaper names such as “The Hindu” take the definite article.

Q63. He studies ______ history.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Names of academic subjects are generally used without an article when referring to the subject generally.

Q64. She is good at ______ mathematics.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Academic subjects such as mathematics are generally used without an article.

Q65. He speaks ______ English fluently.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Names of languages are normally used without an article when referring to the language generally.

Q66. ______ English spoken in India has many regional influences.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

“The English spoken in India” refers to a particular variety of English, so the is used.

Q67. He had ______ breakfast at 8 a.m.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner are generally used without an article when speaking about them generally.

Q68. We had ______ delicious breakfast at the hotel.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

When a meal is modified by an adjective and refers to a particular serving or occasion, an article can be used: a delicious breakfast.

Q69. She plays ______ tennis every evening.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

Names of sports are generally used without articles when referring to the activity.

Q70. He is fond of ______ cricket.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

“Cricket” is a sport name and is normally used without an article.

Q71. He went to ______ market to buy vegetables.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: the

The context refers to a particular market relevant to the situation, so the market is appropriate.

Q72. I saw ______ bird on the tree.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Bird” is a singular countable noun introduced for the first time, so a is used.

Q73. ______ bird was very beautiful.

A. A

B. An

C. The

D. No article

View Answer
Answer: C. The

The bird has already been mentioned, so the definite article the is used.

Q74. I bought ______ book yesterday. ______ book is very interesting.

A. a, a

B. an, the

C. a, the

D. the, a

View Answer
Answer: C. a, the

The book is mentioned for the first time in the first sentence, so “a” is used. On second mention, it becomes specific, so “the” is used.

Q75. She saw ______ old man and ______ young woman.

A. a, a

B. an, a

C. an, an

D. the, a

View Answer
Answer: B. an, a

“Old” begins with a vowel sound, so we use “an.” “Young” begins with a consonant sound /j/, so we use “a.”

Q76. He wants to buy ______ umbrella and ______ raincoat.

A. a, a

B. an, a

C. an, an

D. the, an

View Answer
Answer: B. an, a

“Umbrella” begins with a vowel sound, while “raincoat” begins with a consonant sound.

Q77. He is ______ MBA graduate.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“MBA” is pronounced /em-biː-eɪ/, beginning with a vowel sound, so an MBA is correct.

Q78. He is ______ IAS officer.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“IAS” begins with the vowel sound /aɪ/, so the correct expression is an IAS officer.

Q79. He is ______ B.Tech student.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“B” is pronounced /biː/, which begins with a consonant sound, so a B.Tech student is used.

Q80. He gave me ______ unique opportunity.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“Unique” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so the correct phrase is a unique opportunity.

Q81. She is ______ honest and hardworking woman.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

The phrase refers to one woman and the first adjective begins with a vowel sound: an honest and hardworking woman.

Q82. He is ______ poor man.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Poor” begins with a consonant sound and “man” is singular countable, so a poor man is correct.

Q83. He gave me ______ piece of advice.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Advice” is uncountable, so we do not say “an advice.” We use the countable expression a piece of advice.

Q84. She bought ______ pair of shoes.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Pair” is a singular countable noun, so it takes a.

Q85. He has ______ knowledge of computers.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: a

When “knowledge” means a particular amount or degree of knowledge and is modified by an adjective, “a” can be used: a good knowledge.

Q86. She has ______ good knowledge of English.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

The expression “a good knowledge of” is a standard construction.

Q87. He went on ______ long journey.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Long” begins with a consonant sound and “journey” is singular countable, so a long journey is correct.

Q88. She has ______ European friend.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“European” begins with the consonant sound /juː/, so a European friend is correct.

Q89. He is ______ FBI agent.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. an

“FBI” is pronounced beginning with the vowel sound /ef/, so an FBI agent is correct.

Q90. This is ______ one-time opportunity.

A. an

B. a

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: B. a

“One” begins with the consonant sound /w/, so we use a one-time opportunity.

Q91. He is ______ man I told you about.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The relative clause “I told you about” identifies a particular man, so the definite article the is required.

Q92. This is ______ book that you recommended.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The relative clause identifies a specific book, so the is used.

Q93. He is ______ first Indian to win the award.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

“First” is an ordinal number and takes the definite article the.

Q94. She is ______ only girl in the group.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

“Only” identifies a unique or particular person in the group, so the is used.

Q95. He is ______ same person I met yesterday.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: C. the

The fixed expression is the same.

Q96. She goes to office by ______ bus.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

With the expression “by bus,” no article is normally used when referring to the mode of transport.

Q97. He travelled by ______ train.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: D. No article

The expression “by train” normally takes no article when referring to the mode of transport.

Q98. He came here in ______ taxi.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

Unlike “by taxi,” the phrase “in a taxi” refers to a particular vehicle and takes the indefinite article.

Q99. ______ more you practise, ______ better you become.

A. A, a

B. The, the

C. An, the

D. No article, the

View Answer
Answer: B. The, the

The correlative comparative structure is the more…, the better….

Q100. He is ______ man of great courage.

A. a

B. an

C. the

D. no article

View Answer
Answer: A. a

“Man” is a singular countable noun, and “great” begins with a consonant sound. Therefore, a man of great courage is correct.

A strong understanding of a, an, the and zero article can help you solve error detection, sentence correction and fill-in-the-blank questions more accurately. Pay special attention to vowel sounds, unique objects, superlatives, ordinal numbers, geographical names, professions, abbreviations and expressions where no article is used.

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