About this quiz
54 questions covering every section of the note on articles, including a or an by sound, uses of a/an and the, the zero article, common errors and worked examples.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 54 multiple-choice questions (Subject: English · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 54 questions with answers and explanations
Fill in the blank: "Please wait for ___ hour."
- A) an ✔
- B) a
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: The h in hour is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound and takes an.
Which phrase is correct?
- A) an university
- B) a university ✔
- C) an universities
- D) a universities
Why: University begins with a "yoo" sound, which is a consonant sound, so a is used.
Which phrase is correct?
- A) a MP
- B) the an MP
- C) an MP ✔
- D) a an MP
Why: The letter M is said "em", which begins with a vowel sound, so an is used.
Which phrase is correct?
- A) an one-rupee coin
- B) the one-rupees coin
- C) an one-rupees coin
- D) a one-rupee coin ✔
Why: One is pronounced "wun", beginning with a consonant w sound, so a is used.
The choice between a and an depends on which of the following?
- A) The first letter of the next word
- B) The first sound of the next word ✔
- C) Whether the noun is singular or plural
- D) Whether the noun is countable or uncountable
Why: A goes before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound, whatever the spelling.
Fill in the blank: "My aunt is ___ engineer."
- A) an ✔
- B) a
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: Professions take a or an, and engineer begins with a vowel sound.
Fill in the blank: "Potatoes cost fifty rupees ___ kilo."
- A) an
- B) per the
- C) no article
- D) a ✔
Why: A or an is used to show rate, as in fifty rupees a kilo or twice a day.
Fill in the blank: "What ___ beautiful view of Machhapuchhre!"
- A) the
- B) an
- C) a ✔
- D) no article
Why: Exclamations with what use a or an, and beautiful begins with a consonant sound.
Which noun can NOT take a or an?
- A) advice ✔
- B) umbrella
- C) village
- D) orange
Why: A and an go only with singular countable nouns; advice is uncountable, so we say some advice or a piece of advice.
Choose the correct pair: "Bimala bought ___ sari in Birgunj. ___ sari was red."
- A) the, A
- B) a, A
- C) a, The ✔
- D) the, The
Why: A is used for first mention; the is used when the same thing is mentioned again.
Fill in the blank: "___ sun rises in the east."
- A) A
- B) The ✔
- C) An
- D) No article
Why: The sun is unique, there is only one, so it takes the.
Fill in the blank: "Mount Everest is ___ highest peak in the world."
- A) a
- B) an
- C) no article
- D) the ✔
Why: Superlatives such as highest take the.
Fill in the blank: "Sunita was ___ first student to arrive."
- A) a
- B) an
- C) the ✔
- D) no article
Why: Ordinal numbers such as first, second and last take the.
Which of these names takes the article "the"?
- A) Gandaki ✔
- B) Kathmandu
- C) Kanchenjunga
- D) Rara Lake
Why: Names of rivers take the (the Gandaki); cities, single mountains and lakes usually take no article.
Which sentence is correct?
- A) She lives in USA.
- B) She lives in the USA. ✔
- C) She lives in an USA.
- D) She lives in a USA.
Why: Most countries take no article, but the USA and the UK take the.
Why is "the" used in the sentence "Sita plays the sarangi"?
- A) Because sarangi is a proper noun
- B) Because sarangi is a superlative
- C) Because sarangi is mentioned for the first time
- D) Because sarangi is a musical instrument ✔
Why: Musical instruments take the after play, as in play the sarangi or play the madal.
In the sentence "The rich should help the poor", what does "the poor" mean?
- A) One poor person
- B) A poor person mentioned before
- C) Poor people as a whole group ✔
- D) A newspaper called The Poor
Why: The plus an adjective names a whole group of people and takes a plural verb.
Which of the following usually takes NO article?
- A) Phewa Lake ✔
- B) Indian Ocean
- C) Himalayas
- D) Koshi
Why: Lakes usually take no article, while oceans, mountain ranges and rivers take the.
Fill in the blank: "The boys play ___ football every evening."
- A) a
- B) the
- C) no article ✔
- D) an
Why: Names of games and sports take no article.
Which sentence is correct?
- A) We went to Pokhara by the bus.
- B) We went to Pokhara by a bus.
- C) We went to Pokhara by an bus.
- D) We went to Pokhara by bus. ✔
Why: Means of transport after by take no article: by bus, by train, by air.
Choose the correct pair: "Ramesh goes to ___ school every day as a student. His father went to ___ school to meet the principal."
- A) no article, the ✔
- B) the, no article
- C) the, the
- D) a, a
Why: School used for its main purpose (study) takes no article; a visit for another reason takes the.
Which sentence is free from error?
- A) He speaks the English well.
- B) He speaks English well. ✔
- C) He speaks an English well.
- D) He speaks a English well.
Why: Names of languages take no article.
Which sentence is free from error?
- A) The Mount Everest is in Nepal.
- B) A Mount Everest is in Nepal.
- C) Mount Everest is in the Nepal.
- D) Mount Everest is in Nepal. ✔
Why: Single mountains and most country names, such as Nepal, take no article.
Fill in the blanks: "We visited ___ Rara Lake, ___ biggest lake in Nepal."
- A) the, a
- B) no article, the ✔
- C) the, no article
- D) a, the
Why: Lakes usually take no article, and biggest is a superlative, which takes the.
He is ___ honest man.
- A) an ✔
- B) a
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: Honest begins with a vowel sound (silent h).
She is ___ university student.
- A) an
- B) a ✔
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: University begins with a 'yu' consonant sound.
___ Sun rises in the east.
- A) A
- B) An
- C) The ✔
- D) No article
Why: Unique things take the.
Mount Everest is ___ highest peak in the world.
- A) a
- B) an
- C) no article
- D) the ✔
Why: Superlatives take the.
He bought ___ umbrella.
- A) an ✔
- B) a
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: Umbrella begins with a vowel sound.
I saw ___ one-eyed man.
- A) an
- B) a ✔
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: One begins with a 'w' sound.
___ Ganges is a holy river.
- A) A
- B) An
- C) The ✔
- D) No article
Why: Names of rivers take the.
She plays ___ guitar well.
- A) a
- B) an
- C) no article
- D) the ✔
Why: Musical instruments take the.
He plays ___ football every evening.
- A) no article ✔
- B) the
- C) a
- D) an
Why: Games and sports take no article.
___ honesty is the best policy.
- A) The
- B) No article ✔
- C) A
- D) An
Why: Abstract nouns used generally take no article.
He is ___ MLA from Dhanusha.
- A) a
- B) the
- C) an ✔
- D) no article
Why: MLA is read 'em-el-ay' with a vowel sound.
Kathmandu is ___ capital of Nepal.
- A) a
- B) an
- C) no article
- D) the ✔
Why: There is only one capital.
I need ___ hour to finish.
- A) an ✔
- B) a
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: Hour has a silent h.
She is ___ European.
- A) an
- B) a ✔
- C) the
- D) no article
Why: European begins with a 'yu' sound.
___ rich should help the poor.
- A) A
- B) An
- C) The ✔
- D) No article
Why: The + adjective = a class of people.
We went to ___ school to meet the principal.
- A) no article
- B) a
- C) an
- D) the ✔
Why: Visiting the building for another purpose takes the.
Children go to ___ school to learn.
- A) no article ✔
- B) the
- C) a
- D) an
Why: For the main purpose, no article.
___ Himalayas are in the north of Nepal.
- A) A
- B) The ✔
- C) An
- D) No article
Why: Mountain ranges take the.
He is ___ best student in the class.
- A) a
- B) an
- C) the ✔
- D) no article
Why: Superlative takes the.
She has ___ cow and a goat.
- A) an
- B) the
- C) no article
- D) a ✔
Why: Cow starts with a consonant sound.
___ Pacific is the largest ocean.
- A) The ✔
- B) A
- C) An
- D) No article
Why: Oceans take the.
He reads ___ Gorkhapatra every morning.
- A) a
- B) the ✔
- C) an
- D) no article
Why: Newspapers take the.
Nepal is ___ landlocked country.
- A) an
- B) the
- C) a ✔
- D) no article
Why: Singular countable noun, first mention, consonant sound.
I met ___ old friend yesterday.
- A) a
- B) the
- C) no article
- D) an ✔
Why: Old begins with a vowel sound.
Which word needs 'an'?
- A) hour ✔
- B) house
- C) university
- D) uniform
Why: Hour has a silent h.
Which word needs 'a'?
- A) honest officer
- B) useful book ✔
- C) apple
- D) umbrella
Why: Useful begins with a 'yu' sound.
___ Bible and ___ Gita are holy books.
- A) A, a
- B) An, the
- C) The, the ✔
- D) No article, no article
Why: Holy books take the.
He was ___ first person to arrive.
- A) a
- B) an
- C) no article
- D) the ✔
Why: Ordinals like first take the.
She earns ten thousand rupees ___ month.
- A) a ✔
- B) the
- C) an
- D) no article
Why: A = per in rates.
___ water of this well is clean.
- A) A
- B) The ✔
- C) An
- D) No article
Why: Specific water (of this well) takes the.