1.
Alice drives ___ old car.
Correct Answer
B. An
Explanation
The correct answer is "an" because the word "old" starts with a vowel sound. When a noun starts with a vowel sound, we use "an" before it instead of "a" to make the sentence flow more smoothly. In this case, "an" is used before "old car" to indicate that Alice drives a car that is not new.
2.
My father is reading ___ newspaper.
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a". In this sentence, "newspaper" begins with a consonant sound, so the indefinite article "a" is used.
3.
Kenji is studying ___ English.
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
In this sentence, the word "English" is a subject complement, not an object. When a subject complement follows a linking verb like "is," it does not require an article. Therefore, the correct answer is zero article.
4.
He lives in ___ Alaska.
Correct Answer
D. Zero article
Explanation
The correct answer is zero article because "Alaska" is a proper noun and does not require an article before it.
5.
Did you bring ___ umbrella that you borrowed from me?
Correct Answer
C. The
Explanation
The correct answer is "the" because the speaker is referring to a specific umbrella that was borrowed from them. The use of "the" indicates that both the speaker and the listener are aware of which umbrella is being referred to.
6.
James is ___ boss of the company.
Correct Answer
C. The
Explanation
The correct answer is "the" because it is used to refer to a specific boss. "The" is used when the noun is already known or has been mentioned before, and in this case, it refers to a specific boss of the company.
7.
What ___ language do you speak best?
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
The phrase "zero article" refers to the absence of any article (a, an, or the) before a noun. In this case, the question is asking about the language someone speaks best. Since the question is not referring to a specific language, but rather any language in general, it does not require an article. Therefore, the correct answer is "zero article."
8.
There's ___ apartment building on the corner.
Correct Answer
B. An
Explanation
The correct answer is "an" because the word "apartment" starts with a vowel sound (/ə/), and the indefinite article "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound.
9.
The young boy was not wearing ___ clothes.
Correct Answer
D. Zero article
Explanation
In this sentence, the use of the zero article indicates that the young boy was not wearing any specific or particular clothes. The zero article is used when we are talking about things in a general or non-specific way. In this case, it suggests that the boy was not wearing any clothes at all.
10.
Let's buy ___ sugar.
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
The use of the zero article indicates that we are referring to sugar in general, without specifying a particular type or amount. In this context, the speaker is suggesting the idea of buying sugar in a general sense, without any specific details.
11.
Do you like ___ apples?
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
In this question, the use of the zero article is correct. The zero article is used when referring to general or non-specific things. In this case, the question is asking about a general preference for apples, without specifying a particular type or quantity. Therefore, the correct answer is to leave out any article before "apples".
12.
Do you have ___ computer?
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a" because "computer" starts with a consonant sound, and the indefinite article "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
13.
It's ___ beautiful day.
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a" because when the noun following the article starts with a consonant sound, we use the indefinite article "a". In this case, the word "beautiful" starts with the consonant sound /b/, so we use "a" before it.
14.
He drank ___ cup of coffee while he read the newspaper.
Correct Answer(s)
A. A
C. The
Explanation
The correct answer is "a, the." In this sentence, "a" is used to indicate that he drank one cup of coffee. “The” is also correct because it implies that he drank a specific cup of coffee, which could be true. Both options are grammatically correct in this context.
15.
I would like to buy ___ pair of gloves I saw at ___ mall yesterday.
Correct Answer
B. The, the
Explanation
The correct answer is "the, the" because the speaker is referring to a specific pair of gloves that they saw at a specific mall. The definite article "the" is used to indicate that both the gloves and the mall are known to the speaker and the listener.
16.
The players ate ___ lunch yesterday afternoon.
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
The correct answer is zero article. In this sentence, the word "lunch" is a noncount, or uncountable noun, which means it cannot be counted or quantified. When uncountable nouns are used in a general sense, we do not use an article before them. Therefore, the correct sentence would be "The players ate lunch yesterday afternoon."
17.
Sam is ___ university student.
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a" because "university" starts with a consonant sound. When a noun begins with a consonant sound, we use "a" before it. In this case, "university" starts with the "yew" sound, we use "a" before it.
18.
I have ___ money in the bank.
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
The zero article is used when we are referring to something in a general sense. In this case, the speaker is referring to money in general that they have in the bank, rather than a specific amount or type of money. Therefore, the correct answer is the zero article.
19.
Are these ___ pair of shoes you wore to the prom?
Correct Answer
B. The
Explanation
The use of "the" in this sentence indicates that the speaker is referring to a specific pair of shoes. It suggests that the speaker and the listener both have knowledge or understanding of which pair of shoes is being referred to.
20.
Is there ___ big window in your kitchen?
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a" because it indicates that there is one big window in the kitchen. "The" would imply that there is a specific big window that the speaker is referring to, which may not be the case.
21.
Joe is reading ___ book he borrowed from ____ library.
Correct Answer(s)
A. The, the
B. A, the
Explanation
The correct answer is "the, the,” or “a, the". In this sentence, "the" is used before "book" to indicate that Joe is reading a specific book. "The" is also used before "library" to indicate a specific library. "A" is used before "book" to indicate that Joe borrowed one book from the library. Finally, "the" is used before "library" again to refer back to the specific library mentioned earlier.
22.
This is ___ expensive wine.
Correct Answer
D. An
Explanation
The correct answer is "an" because the word "expensive" starts with a vowel sound (/ɪ/), and "an" is used before words that start with a vowel sound.
23.
Let's go for ___ drive in the country.
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a" because it is used before a consonant sound, such as "drive." In this sentence, "drive" starts with the consonant sound /d/, so "a" is the appropriate article to use.
24.
Herman has ___ ugly dog.
Correct Answer
B. An
Explanation
The correct answer is "an" because "an" is used before words that start with a vowel sound. In this case, "ugly" starts with a vowel sound (/ʌ/), so "an" is the appropriate article to use.
25.
Did Janet have __ dinner yet?
Correct Answer
C. Zero article
Explanation
The correct answer is "zero article" because the question is asking whether Janet has had dinner yet, without specifying any particular dinner. The use of the zero article indicates that it is a general reference to dinner in general, rather than a specific instance of dinner.
26.
I wish I had ___ Italian sports car.
Correct Answer
A. An
Explanation
The correct answer is "an" because it is used before a word that starts with a vowel sound, such as "Italian." In this case, "Italian" is pronounced with a vowel sound at the beginning, so "an" is the appropriate choice.
27.
Have you ever seen ___ kangaroo?
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The correct answer is "a". In this sentence, the indefinite article "a" is used before the noun "kangaroo" to indicate that the speaker is referring to any kangaroo in general, not a specific one. The use of "a" suggests that the speaker is asking if the listener has ever encountered or witnessed a kangaroo at any point in their life.
28.
There was ___ weird sound in ___ bedroom last night.
Correct Answer
B. A, the
Explanation
The correct answer is "a, the". In this sentence, "a" is used before "weird sound" to indicate that there was a singular, unidentified sound in the bedroom. "The" is used before "bedroom" to specify that it was a specific bedroom, likely the one belonging to the speaker or the context of the conversation.
29.
Jack Anderson was caught holding _____ match at _____ time of _____ fire.
Correct Answer
A. A, the, the
Explanation
The sentence is referring to a specific match that Jack Anderson was caught holding. Therefore, the indefinite article "a" is used before "match". The sentence also specifies a particular time when the fire occurred, so the definite article "the" is used before "time". Lastly, "the" is used before "fire" because it is referring to a specific fire.
30.
She replied in _____ surprise that _____ question was much too difficult.
Correct Answer
C. No article, the
Explanation
The correct answer is "no article, the". In this sentence, the word "surprise" is being used as a noun, so it does not need an article. However, the word "question" is also a noun and requires the definite article "the" because it is referring to a specific question that was mentioned earlier in the conversation.