SSC Articles Questions (A, An, The) with Answers and Rules

Articles (a, an and the) are used in almost every English sentence, and SSC papers test them in fill in the blanks, error spotting and sentence improvement. The rules are simple, but the exceptions are tricky, such as an hour, a university and the Himalayas. This practice paper gives you the main rules and 21 questions with answers and short explanations.

What Are Articles?

Articles are small words that come before a noun. There are two kinds.

• Indefinite articles (a, an) are used for a general or first-mentioned noun.
• Definite article (the) is used for a particular or known noun.
• Zero article means that no article is needed.

Rules and Shortcut Tricks

• Use "a" before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound. The sound matters, not the spelling: an hour, an MBA, a university, a European, a one-eyed man.
• Use "the" with unique things (the sun, the moon), rivers (the Ganga), oceans (the Indian Ocean), mountain ranges (the Himalayas), newspapers (the Hindu), musical instruments (the violin) and superlatives (the best).
• No article with names of persons, single mountains (Mount Everest), languages, meals, games, subjects and abstract nouns in general (honesty is the best policy).
• No article in fixed phrases for the main purpose of a place: go to school, go to bed, go to church.
• Use the before a noun when it is mentioned again.
• Use a/an with a profession or a class (She is an engineer).

Set 1: A, An or The (Q1–Q7)

Q1. ___ apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Answer: An
Solution: Apple starts with a vowel sound.

Q2. He is ___ honest boy.
Answer: an
Trick: The h in honest is silent.

Q3. She wants to be ___ engineer.
Answer: an
Solution: Engineer starts with a vowel sound.

Q4. ___ Ganga is a holy river.
Answer: The
Solution: Rivers take the.

Q5. I saw ___ one-eyed man.
Answer: a
Trick: One starts with the sound w, a consonant sound.

Q6. ___ Himalayas are in the north of India.
Answer: The
Solution: Mountain ranges take the.

Q7. He plays ___ violin.
Answer: the
Solution: Musical instruments take the.

Set 2: More Rules and Exceptions (Q8–Q14)

Q8. She is ___ European.
Answer: a
Trick: European starts with the sound y.

Q9. ___ sun sets in the west.
Answer: The
Solution: The sun is unique.

Q10. Gold is ___ precious metal.
Answer: a
Solution: Precious starts with a consonant sound.

Q11. He is ___ M.A. in English.
Answer: an
Solution: M.A. starts with the vowel sound em.

Q12. ___ Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
Answer: No article
Solution: A single mountain does not take the.

Q13. She goes to ___ school every day.
Answer: No article (go to school as a student)
Solution: The main purpose of the place is meant.

Q14. Honesty is ___ best policy.
Answer: the
Solution: The best is a superlative.

Set 3: Exam-Level Questions (Q15–Q21)

Q15. He is ___ tallest boy in the class.
Answer: the
Solution: Superlatives take the.

Q16. I have ___ umbrella.
Answer: an
Solution: Umbrella starts with a vowel sound.

Q17. ___ Indian Ocean is very deep.
Answer: The
Solution: Oceans take the.

Q18. India won ___ match yesterday.
Answer: the
Solution: A particular match is meant.

Q19. He is ___ unique person.
Answer: a
Solution: Unique starts with the sound y.

Q20. She is ___ MLA.
Answer: an
Solution: MLA starts with the vowel sound em.

Q21. ___ Taj Mahal is in Agra.
Answer: The
Solution: A famous building takes the.

Words That Confuse Students: Sound Check Table

Uses of The: Examples

• Unique things: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky.
• Rivers and seas: the Yamuna, the Arabian Sea, the Pacific Ocean.
• Mountain ranges and groups of islands: the Alps, the Andamans.
• Famous buildings and books: the Red Fort, the Taj Mahal, the Ramayana, the Bible.
• Superlatives and ordinals: the best, the first, the last, the second.
• Positions: in the north, on the left, in the morning.

When you meet a blank before a noun, ask yourself three questions: is the noun specific, is it unique and does it begin with a vowel sound. These three questions solve most article problems in the SSC exam. Also remember that names of languages, games and meals do not take an article: she speaks Hindi, he plays cricket and we had lunch.

Special Cases Often Tested in SSC

• Use an before a vowel sound, not a vowel letter: an hour, an honest man, but a university, a European, a one-rupee note.
• Use the before unique things: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky.
• Use the before the names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges and newspapers: the Ganga, the Himalayas, the Hindu.
• Do not use an article before names of languages, meals, games and most countries: she speaks Hindi; we play cricket.
• Use the before a superlative and before an ordinal number: the best, the first.

When two adjectives describe one person, use one article: "He is a tall and brave boy". When they describe two persons, use two: "He has a black and a white dog" means two dogs. This small rule is often asked in the exam.

Common Mistakes in Articles

• Choosing a or an by the spelling and not by the sound.
• Using the before the names of persons and single mountains.
• Missing the with rivers, oceans and ranges.
• Using an article with uncountable nouns in a general sense.
• Forgetting the before a superlative.
• Using a before a vowel sound such as hour.

How to Practice These 21 Questions

1. Say the word aloud to check the first sound.
2. Learn the list of nouns that take the.
3. Practise 10 article questions daily.
4. Revise exceptions such as an hour and a university.

Related Topics to Study Next

• Fill in the Blanks Questions
• Error Detection Questions
• Subject-Verb Agreement Questions
• SSC English Practice Set

Frequently Asked Questions

What are articles?

Articles are the words a, an and the that come before nouns.

When do we use a and an?

Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound.

Why do we say an hour?

Because the h is silent and the word begins with a vowel sound.

Why do we say a university?

Because university begins with the consonant sound y.

When is the used?

The is used for particular or unique things, rivers, oceans, ranges, newspapers, instruments and superlatives.

When is no article used?

No article is used with names, languages, meals, games, single mountains and general abstract nouns.

Do we use the with Mount Everest?

No. A single mountain does not take the.

Do we use the with the Himalayas?

Yes. Mountain ranges take the.

What is the article before a profession?

A or an, as in She is a doctor.

How many article questions come in SSC exams?

One to three in fill in the blanks, error spotting and sentence improvement.

What is the rule for go to school?

No article is used when the main purpose of the place is meant.

How should I prepare articles for SSC exams?

Learn the rules and exceptions and practise daily.