Question

Fill in the blank with correct article:
“I saw _____ eagle flying in the sky.”

• A. a
• B. the
• C. an
• D. no article

Hint:

Remember to listen for the sound of the first letter of the word, not just whether it's a vowel or a consonant letter, when deciding between 'a' and 'an'. For example, 'an hour' (silent 'h'), 'a university' ('u' sounds like 'y').

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the rules for using indefinite articles ('a' and 'an').
The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound of the first letter of the word immediately following the article, not necessarily the letter itself.
Use 'a' before words that start with a consonant sound. Use 'an' before words that start with a vowel sound.

Step 2: Determine the sound of the word 'eagle'. The word 'eagle' starts with the vowel sound /iː/.

Step 3: Apply the rule to the blank.
Since 'eagle' starts with a vowel sound, the indefinite article 'an' should be used. "I saw an eagle flying in the sky."

Step 4: Evaluate the given options.
(1) a: Incorrect, as 'eagle' starts with a vowel sound.
(2) the: 'The' is a definite article used for specific nouns. Here, it refers to an unspecified eagle, so an indefinite article is needed.
(3) an: Correct, as 'eagle' begins with a vowel sound.
(4) no article: Incorrect, as an article is required before a singular countable noun like 'eagle' in this context.

Step 5: Conclude the correct option.
The correct article to fill the blank is 'an'.