MCQ
Use of Articles (a/an/the, zero article) MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 15 Use of Articles (a/an/the, zero article) questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1Which of the following sentences is incorrect in the use of articles?
Proper names of individual places such as Mount Abu generally take zero article. The cue in option D is the proper place name Mount Abu; the sentence should be Mount Abu is a popular hill station in Rajasthan. The other options correctly use the with a named range, an ocean, and a river. Therefore, only option D is incorrect.
Q2Read the assertion and reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): The sentence 'The poor need timely assistance during a crisis' is grammatically correct. Reason (R): The definite article 'the' can be used before an adjective to refer to a whole class of people.
English can use 'the' before certain adjectives to refer to a whole class of people. The cue is the phrase 'the poor', which means poor people collectively and therefore takes a plural verb. Thus the assertion is true, the reason is true, and the reason correctly explains the assertion; only option D fits.
Q3Consider the following statements and choose the correct option. Statement 1: The definite article the is used before superlative adjectives. Statement 2: The indefinite article a is normally used before ordinal numbers when they mean "one more" rather than a fixed order. Which sentence correctly applies these rules?
Superlative adjectives usually take the, and an ordinal takes a when it means one more or another. The cues are best in a comparison with all typists in the office and second chance meaning another opportunity. Thus the required forms are the best typist and a second chance. Therefore, only option D correctly applies both rules.
Q4Which one of the following sentences is incorrect?
Article choice depends on sound, not spelling. The cue is 'European': although it begins with the written vowel 'e', it is pronounced with the initial consonant sound /j/. Therefore the incorrect sentence is 'He is an European officer'; the correct form is 'a European officer'. The other options correctly use 'the sun', 'the east', 'a one-rupee coin', and 'the elderly'.
Q5Choose the correctly filled option: Ravi is ___ honest clerk, but he works in ___ one-room office near the bus stand.
Use a or an according to pronunciation, not spelling. Honest begins with a vowel sound because h is silent, so it takes an. One-room begins with the consonant sound /w/, so it takes a. Therefore, only an honest clerk and a one-room office is correct.
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More questions
6Read the Assertion (A) and Reason (R), then choose the correct option. Assertion (A): We say, "The tiger is a powerful animal" when speaking about the whole species. Reason (R): The definite article the can be used before a singular countable noun to represent a whole class.
7Read the following statements and choose the correct option. Statement 1: In British and Indian English, we say 'I am going to hospital' when we mean treatment as a patient. Statement 2: We say 'The doctor returned to the hospital' when a particular hospital building is meant.
8Match List I with List II and choose the correct option. List I: 1. ___ Ganga is a sacred river. 2. He is ___ M.A. in English. 3. I read ___ Ramayana during the holidays. 4. She plays ___ chess every evening. List II: a. an b. no article c. the Correct match:
9Match List I with List II and choose the correct option. List I: 1. ___ Himalayas 2. ___ Mount Abu 3. ___ Indian Ocean 4. ___ Ganga List II: a. a mountain range that takes 'the' b. an individual place name with 'Mount' that takes zero article c. an ocean name that takes 'the' d. a river name that takes 'the'
10Which sentence is incorrect when the nouns are used in a general sense?
11Read the statements and choose the correct option. Statement 1: The definite article 'the' is normally used before a superlative adjective. Statement 2: The definite article 'the' is normally used before the names of languages when they are used in a general sense.
12Choose the option that correctly fills in the blank. The clerk gave the visitor ___ honest reply about the missing application form.
13Identify the correct sentence for a general preference.
14Choose the sentence in which both articles are correctly used.
15Match List I with List II and choose the correct code. List I: 1. He went to ___ school to meet the principal. 2. She goes to ___ school at 8 a.m. every day as a student. 3. The injured patient was taken to ___ hospital for treatment. 4. The nurse returned to ___ hospital building after lunch to collect her bag. List II: a. the b. zero article c. the d. zero article