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Articles (A, An, The) — English Questions with Answers

60 practice questions on Articles (A, An, The), each with the correct answer and a clear explanation of why it is right. Read through them as revision notes, or take this topic as an interactive quiz to test yourself.

8 easy · 34 medium · 18 hard · Part of English: English Grammar for Class 1-5 - 10 topics.

Key concepts in this topic

ArticlesaanSilent hSound rulethethe uniquethe particulara/an vs thea to thethe with namesthe riverthe with booksthe superlativethe instrumentsa and thea and anSummary

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Easy questions (8)

Q1. easy

The three articles in English are:

  1. A a, an, the
  2. B is, am, are
  3. C he, she, it
  4. D and, but, or

Answer: A — a, an, the

'A', 'an' and 'the' are the three articles. They are little words placed before nouns.

Articles

Q2. easy

We use 'a' before a word that begins with a:

  1. A Consonant sound (b, c, d, ...)
  2. B Vowel sound
  3. C Capital letter
  4. D Number

Answer: A — Consonant sound (b, c, d, ...)

We use 'a' before words that begin with a consonant sound - a boy, a car, a dog, a table.

Articlesa

Q3. easy

We use 'an' before a word that begins with a:

  1. A Vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)
  2. B Consonant sound
  3. C Full stop
  4. D Verb

Answer: A — Vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u)

We use 'an' before words that begin with a vowel sound - an apple, an egg, an igloo, an orange, an umbrella.

Articlesan

Q4. easy

Fill in the blank: 'I saw ___ dog.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the only
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Dog' begins with a consonant sound (d), so we use 'a': 'a dog'.

Articlesa

Q5. easy

Fill in the blank: 'She ate ___ apple.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Apple' begins with a vowel sound (a), so we use 'an': 'an apple'.

Articlesan

Q6. easy

Fill in the blank: 'He has ___ umbrella.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Umbrella' begins with a vowel sound (u as 'uh'), so we use 'an': 'an umbrella'.

Articlesan

Q56. easy

Fill in the blank: 'I have ___ pen.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Pen' begins with a consonant sound (p), so we use 'a': 'a pen'.

Articlesa

Q57. easy

Fill in the blank: 'She saw ___ owl in the tree.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Owl' begins with a vowel sound (o), so we use 'an': 'an owl'.

Articlesan

Medium questions (34)

Q7. medium

Fill in the blank: 'I bought ___ orange.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Orange' begins with a vowel sound (o), so we use 'an': 'an orange'.

Articlesan

Q8. medium

Fill in the blank: 'There is ___ egg in the nest.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Egg' begins with a vowel sound (e), so we use 'an': 'an egg'.

Articlesan

Q9. medium

Fill in the blank: 'I need ___ pencil.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Pencil' begins with a consonant sound (p), so we use 'a': 'a pencil'.

Articlesa

Q10. medium

Fill in the blank: 'She is ___ honest girl.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

In 'honest', the 'h' is silent, so it begins with a vowel sound (o). We use 'an': 'an honest girl'.

ArticlesSilent h

Q13. medium

Which article means ONE particular thing already known to us?

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

'The' is the definite article. It points to a particular, known thing - 'the sun', 'the book on the table', 'the boy we met'.

Articlesthe

Q14. medium

Fill in the blank: '___ sun rises in the east.'

  1. A The
  2. B A
  3. C An
  4. D No article

Answer: A — The

There is only one sun, so we use 'the' for something unique. 'The sun rises in the east.'

Articlesthe unique

Q15. medium

Fill in the blank: 'Please close ___ door.'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' for a particular door that both speaker and listener know about. 'Please close the door.'

Articlesthe particular

Q17. medium

Fill in the blanks: 'I have ___ cat. ___ cat is white.'

  1. A a ... The
  2. B the ... A
  3. C an ... The
  4. D a ... An

Answer: A — a ... The

The first time we say 'a cat' (any cat). The second time we say 'The cat' because now we know which cat.

Articlesa to the

Q18. medium

Fill in the blank: 'The children played in ___ garden.'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' for a particular garden known to us. 'The children played in the garden.'

Articlesthe

Q20. medium

Fill in the blank: '___ Ganga is a holy river.'

  1. A The
  2. B A
  3. C An
  4. D No article

Answer: A — The

We use 'the' before the names of rivers. 'The Ganga is a holy river.'

Articlesthe river

Q21. medium

Fill in the blank: 'I saw ___ elephant at the zoo.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Elephant' begins with a vowel sound (e), so we use 'an': 'an elephant'.

Articlesan

Q22. medium

Fill in the blank: 'She is ___ engineer.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Engineer' begins with a vowel sound (e), so we use 'an': 'an engineer'.

Articlesan

Q23. medium

Fill in the blank: 'He is ___ brave soldier.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Brave' begins with a consonant sound (b), so we use 'a': 'a brave soldier'. The article matches the word right after it.

Articlesa

Q26. medium

Which sentence uses the article correctly?

  1. A I ate an ice cream.
  2. B I ate a ice cream.
  3. C I ate the a ice cream.
  4. D I ate ice cream an.

Answer: A — I ate an ice cream.

'Ice cream' begins with a vowel sound (i), so we use 'an': 'an ice cream'.

Articlesan

Q27. medium

Fill in the blank: 'There is ___ old man at the gate.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Old' begins with a vowel sound (o), so we use 'an': 'an old man'.

Articlesan

Q28. medium

Fill in the blank: 'We watched ___ film last night.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Film' begins with a consonant sound (f), so we use 'a': 'a film'.

Articlesa

Q30. medium

Fill in the blank: '___ moon looks bright tonight.'

  1. A The
  2. B A
  3. C An
  4. D No article

Answer: A — The

There is only one moon, so we use 'the' for this unique thing. 'The moon looks bright tonight.'

Articlesthe unique

Q31. medium

Fill in the blank: 'A cow gives us milk. ___ cow is a useful animal.'

  1. A The
  2. B A
  3. C An
  4. D No article

Answer: A — The

The second time, we talk about the cow already mentioned, so we use 'The'. 'The cow is a useful animal.'

Articlesa to the

Q33. medium

Fill in the blank: 'She has ___ interesting book.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Interesting' begins with a vowel sound (i), so we use 'an': 'an interesting book'.

Articlesan

Q34. medium

Fill in the blank: 'I want ___ banana.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Banana' begins with a consonant sound (b), so we use 'a': 'a banana'.

Articlesa

Q36. medium

Fill in the blank: 'He is ___ best player in the team.'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

'Best' is a superlative, so we use 'the': 'the best player'.

Articlesthe superlative

Q38. medium

Which sentence uses 'a' correctly?

  1. A I have a red ball.
  2. B I have a apple.
  3. C I have a orange.
  4. D I have a egg.

Answer: A — I have a red ball.

'Red' begins with a consonant sound, so 'a red ball' is correct. Apple, orange and egg all need 'an' (vowel sounds).

Articlesa

Q39. medium

Which sentence uses 'an' correctly?

  1. A She wore an old coat.
  2. B She wore an new coat.
  3. C She wore an red coat.
  4. D She wore an warm coat.

Answer: A — She wore an old coat.

'Old' begins with a vowel sound, so 'an old coat' is correct. New, red and warm begin with consonant sounds and need 'a'.

Articlesan

Q41. medium

Fill in the blank: 'There is ___ book on ___ table.'

  1. A a ... the
  2. B the ... a
  3. C an ... a
  4. D a ... an

Answer: A — a ... the

'A book' (any book, first mention) and 'the table' (a particular known table). 'There is a book on the table.'

Articlesa and the

Q43. medium

Fill in the blank: 'My father drives ___ car.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Car' begins with a consonant sound (c), so we use 'a': 'a car'.

Articlesa

Q45. medium

Fill in the blank: '___ earth moves around ___ sun.'

  1. A The ... the
  2. B A ... a
  3. C An ... an
  4. D The ... a

Answer: A — The ... the

Both the earth and the sun are unique, so we use 'the' before each. 'The earth moves around the sun.'

Articlesthe unique

Q46. medium

Which of these needs 'an'?

  1. A ___ igloo
  2. B ___ house
  3. C ___ cat
  4. D ___ book

Answer: A — ___ igloo

'Igloo' begins with a vowel sound (i), so it needs 'an'. House, cat and book begin with consonant sounds and need 'a'.

Articlesan

Q47. medium

Which of these needs 'a'?

  1. A ___ ball
  2. B ___ apple
  3. C ___ egg
  4. D ___ orange

Answer: A — ___ ball

'Ball' begins with a consonant sound (b), so it needs 'a'. Apple, egg and orange begin with vowel sounds and need 'an'.

Articlesa

Q49. medium

Fill in the blank: 'I read ___ story about ___ king. ___ king was kind.'

  1. A a ... a ... The
  2. B the ... the ... A
  3. C an ... an ... The
  4. D a ... the ... A

Answer: A — a ... a ... The

First mention uses 'a' (a story, a king). The second mention of the king uses 'The' because now we know which king.

Articlesa to the

Q51. medium

Fill in the blank: 'He gave me ___ useful gift.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Useful' starts with a 'y' consonant sound ('yoo-seful'), so we use 'a': 'a useful gift'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q53. medium

Fill in the blank: 'Do you play ___ guitar?'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' before the names of musical instruments. 'Do you play the guitar?'

Articlesthe instruments

Q54. medium

Which sentence uses articles correctly?

  1. A An ant is a small insect.
  2. B A ant is an small insect.
  3. C The ant is an small insect.
  4. D A ant is a small insect.

Answer: A — An ant is a small insect.

'Ant' has a vowel sound → 'an ant'. 'Small' has a consonant sound → 'a small insect'. So 'An ant is a small insect.'

Articlesa and an

Q58. medium

Fill in the blank: '___ stars twinkle at night.'

  1. A The
  2. B A
  3. C An
  4. D No article for plural is fine, but here we point to particular stars, so 'The'

Answer: A — The

We use 'the' to point to the stars we can all see. 'The stars twinkle at night.'

Articlesthe

Q59. medium

Fill in the blank: 'He wants to be ___ actor.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the a
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Actor' begins with a vowel sound (a), so we use 'an': 'an actor'.

Articlesan

Hard questions (18)

Q11. hard

Why do we say 'an hour' and not 'a hour'?

  1. A The 'h' in 'hour' is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound
  2. B 'Hour' is plural
  3. C 'Hour' is a special word
  4. D There is no reason

Answer: A — The 'h' in 'hour' is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound

The rule follows the SOUND, not the letter. In 'hour', the 'h' is silent and we hear a vowel sound ('our'), so we use 'an': 'an hour'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q12. hard

Why do we say 'a university' and not 'an university'?

  1. A 'University' begins with a 'y' consonant sound (yoo)
  2. B 'University' is plural
  3. C It is a mistake
  4. D 'University' begins with a vowel sound

Answer: A — 'University' begins with a 'y' consonant sound (yoo)

Although 'university' starts with the letter 'u', it sounds like 'yoo-niversity' - a consonant sound. So we use 'a': 'a university'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q16. hard

We use 'a' or 'an' when we talk about something for the FIRST time or in general. We use 'the' when:

  1. A We talk about a particular thing already known
  2. B The word is plural
  3. C The word is a verb
  4. D Never

Answer: A — We talk about a particular thing already known

'A/an' is used the first time or for any one thing; 'the' is used for a specific thing we already know. 'I saw a dog. The dog was barking.'

Articlesa/an vs the

Q19. hard

Which article is used before the names of rivers, oceans and mountain ranges?

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' before rivers, seas, oceans and mountain ranges - the Ganga, the Indian Ocean, the Himalayas.

Articlesthe with names

Q24. hard

Fill in the blank: 'It took ___ hour to finish.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'Hour' has a silent 'h' and begins with a vowel sound, so we use 'an': 'an hour'.

ArticlesSilent h

Q25. hard

Fill in the blank: 'My uncle is ___ M.L.A.'

  1. A an
  2. B a
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — an

'M' is a consonant, but the letter 'M.L.A.' is pronounced 'em' - a vowel sound. So we use 'an': 'an M.L.A.'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q29. hard

We use 'the' before the names of holy books. Which is correct?

  1. A the Ramayana
  2. B a Ramayana
  3. C an Ramayana
  4. D Ramayana without article

Answer: A — the Ramayana

We use 'the' before the names of holy books and epics - the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Quran, the Bible.

Articlesthe with books

Q32. hard

Which sentence is correct?

  1. A He is an honest man.
  2. B He is a honest man.
  3. C He is the honest man an.
  4. D He is honest a man.

Answer: A — He is an honest man.

'Honest' has a silent 'h' and a vowel sound, so we use 'an': 'an honest man'.

ArticlesSilent h

Q35. hard

Which article do we use before superlatives, as in '___ tallest boy'?

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' before superlative adjectives - the tallest boy, the best student, the biggest house.

Articlesthe superlative

Q37. hard

Fill in the blank: 'The Himalayas are ___ highest mountains.'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

'Highest' is a superlative, so we use 'the'. 'The Himalayas are the highest mountains.'

Articlesthe superlative

Q40. hard

Fill in the blank: 'She plays ___ violin beautifully.'

  1. A the
  2. B a
  3. C an
  4. D no article

Answer: A — the

We use 'the' before the names of musical instruments - play the violin, the guitar, the flute, the piano.

Articlesthe instruments

Q42. hard

Which sentence is correct?

  1. A An owl sleeps in the day.
  2. B A owl sleeps in the day.
  3. C The a owl sleeps in the day.
  4. D Owl an sleeps in the day.

Answer: A — An owl sleeps in the day.

'Owl' begins with a vowel sound (o), so we use 'an': 'an owl'.

Articlesan

Q44. hard

Fill in the blank: 'He is ___ European by birth.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'European' starts with a 'y' consonant sound ('yoo-ropean'), so we use 'a': 'a European'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q48. hard

Fill in the blank: 'She sings like ___ nightingale.'

  1. A a
  2. B an
  3. C the
  4. D no article

Answer: A — a

'Nightingale' begins with a consonant sound (n), so we use 'a': 'a nightingale'.

Articlesa

Q50. hard

Which sentence is correct?

  1. A The sky is blue.
  2. B A sky is blue.
  3. C An sky is blue.
  4. D Sky the is blue.

Answer: A — The sky is blue.

There is only one sky, so we use 'the' for this unique thing. 'The sky is blue.'

Articlesthe unique

Q52. hard

Which pair correctly fills 'He is ___ honest and ___ hardworking man'?

  1. A an ... a
  2. B a ... an
  3. C an ... an
  4. D a ... a

Answer: A — an ... a

'Honest' has a silent 'h' (vowel sound) → 'an honest'. 'Hardworking' has a spoken 'h' (consonant sound) → 'a hardworking'.

ArticlesSound rule

Q55. hard

Which overall statement about articles is CORRECT?

  1. A Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds, and 'the' for a particular or unique thing
  2. B Use 'a' before every word
  3. C Use 'the' only for people
  4. D Articles are never needed

Answer: A — Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds, and 'the' for a particular or unique thing

This sums up the topic: 'a' and 'an' are indefinite articles chosen by the SOUND that follows (consonant → a, vowel → an), while 'the' is the definite article for particular, known or unique things.

ArticlesSummary

Q60. hard

Fill in the blank: 'We visited ___ zoo and saw ___ tiger. ___ tiger was asleep.'

  1. A a ... a ... The
  2. B the ... the ... A
  3. C an ... an ... The
  4. D a ... an ... A

Answer: A — a ... a ... The

First mentions use 'a' (a zoo, a tiger). The tiger mentioned again takes 'The' because now we know which tiger.

Articlesa to the

Practice “Articles (A, An, The)” as a quiz