Question

________ bus signaled that it was turning left into the side street. (Complete the sentence with the best possible option from those given below.)
A. A
B. An
C. The
D. That

Answer 1

Hint:Articles define the nouns as nonspecific or specific. Nouns are further classified into definite and indefinite articles. Articles are the words ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’. Articles behave like an adjective; it modifies the noun by describing it as specific or non-specific.

Complete answer:
Articles are the words that define if something is specific or unspecific. Articles are classified into two types: definite and indefinite articles. A definite article is an article that associates a noun to one particular thing. ‘The’ is the definite article which defines its noun as something specific. For example, a definite article is used with something unique, something which was mentioned previously or is known, or something which is identified by the speaker.

For instance, in the sentence ‘please give me the book’
The speaker here refers to the specific book hence with the noun ‘book’ we use a definite article.

Indefinite articles are used in two forms i.e., ‘a’ and ‘an’. We use the indefinite article to refer to a general idea. Indefinite article ‘a’ is used with words that begin with consonants and ‘an’ is used with the words that begin with vowels.

In the given sentence we talk about a specific bus that signaled. Had we used indefinite articles it would have referred to any bus on the road. Hence, to specify which bus signaled we use the definite article ‘the’.

Other options are incorrect as:
Option A. a, is an indefinite article that is used to refer to something in general.
Option B. An is also an indefinite article, also ‘an’ as an indefinite article is used with a word that begins with a vowel or a sound of the vowel.
Option D. that, is used to refer to the object which is not near the speaker or something that is not present in the moment.

Additional information:
We use indefinite article ‘an’ not just with a word that begins with a vowel but also with the word whose initial sound of the letter is a vowel. For example- an honorable woman, an FBI agent.
In both, the phrase the words ‘ honorable’ and ‘FBI’ has the initial sound of vowels ‘o’ and ‘a’ respectively.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: We do not use indefinite articles with plural or uncountable nouns. A/an article follows the sound of the letter and not just the written letter. Hence, before using the indefinite article we must know the pronunciation of words and note if the initial letter makes the sound of vowels (a,e,i,o,u).