Question

Fill in the blank with the correct determiner.
Miss Liza is _____ European.
a. a
b. an
c. the
d. NO change

Answer 1

Hint: The student should go through the options carefully after reading the sentence and figure out which type of determiner is used before a word like ‘European’. This can be done by recalling the purpose of each option.

Complete answer: In this question, it will be helpful for the student to recall the concept of articles. An article is a determiner that may indicate the specificity of reference of a noun phrase.
Let us analyze the options given to us in this question -
Option (a.), 'a', refers to ‘Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it.’.
Therefore, option (a.) is correct as this article is used before proper nouns to create an example. Here, Miss Liza is an example of a European.
Option (b.), ‘an', refers to ‘Form, used before a vowel sound, of a’.
Therefore, option (b.) is incorrect as this article is not used before proper nouns to create an example.
Option (c.), ‘the', refers to ‘Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already completely specified’.
Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as this article is not used before proper nouns to create an example.
Option (d.), ‘NO change', is incorrect as option (a.) is correct.
Therefore, option a is correct.

Note: Use the indefinite article a or an only with a singular count noun whose specific identity is not known to the reader. Use a before nouns that begin with a consonant sound, and use an before nouns that begin with a vowel sound.