Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable article from the options given.
________ mangoes grow in summer season.
(a)the
(b)a
(c)an
(d)no article

Answer 1

Hint: Indefinite articles are usually used before a noun that is general or when its identity is not known. Definite articles are used when the identity is certain, however not before a proper noun with some exceptions.

Complete answer: Indefinite articles are used for a thing or person when
the reader doesn’t know which one we are referring to out of many nouns. It is used for
denoting the random nature of an object.

‘The’ is used as a definite article for a thing or person when the reader knows which one
we are exactly referring to. It states the specific nature of the subject. The word ‘mangoes’
is not a proper noun. However, that is the name of a train. So, it is inferred that it is a common noun. However, there will still be no article before it, as it is a plural common noun.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
(a)the - The article ‘the’ is a definite article. It is used when the identity is certain, however, it is never used before a proper noun, with some exceptions. The word following the blank is ‘mangoes’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(b)a - The article ‘a’ is an indefinite article. It is used more in a general sense, however, these also cannot be used before a plural common noun. The word following the blank is ‘mangoes’ which is a plural common noun. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(c)an - The article ‘an’ is an indefinite article. It is used more in a general sense, only before words beginning with a vowel, however, these also cannot be used before a plural common noun. The word following the blank is ‘mangoes’ which is a plural common noun. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(d)no article - The noun given in the sentence is a common noun which is plural. This fits perfectly into the given sentence, as we require no article. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.

Note: To choose the correct indefinite or definite article, pronounce the word after it. If it is a vowel sound, there will be only one correct option. That will be the correct answer for the given sentence. However, there can also be no article used.