Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate words.
_____ ancient Egypt consisted of _____ desert regions surrounding _____ Nile.
A)No article/ the / the
B)No article/ no article / the
C)The/ the / no article
D)The/ no article / the

Answer 1

Hint: Definite article ‘the’ is used before a noun to lay emphasis on the identity of a noun that is already known to the readers.

Complete step by step answer:

There are two types of articles: Definite and Indefinite articles.

As given in the hint, definite article ‘the’ is used with proper nouns and nouns that refer to a particular thing.

Example- I went swimming in the Indian Ocean last week. Here, we have used the definite article with the ‘Indian Ocean’, as it is a proper noun.

Indefinite articles refer to a/an. They are used with common nouns or with nouns having unknown identities.

Example- I ate a sandwich and a banana in the morning. Here, we have used the indefinite article ‘a’ with ‘sandwich and banana’, as they are common nouns.
Now, let’s look at the given options:
A)We cannot use the definite article ‘the’ with ‘desert’. As the identity of the desert is unknown to the readers. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
B)In the given option, we have only used ‘the’ with ‘Nile’, as it is a proper noun and its identity is known to the readers. Hence, it is the correct option.
C)We do not use ‘the’ with countries, except for some specified countries. Also, the use of ‘the’ with ‘desert’ is inappropriate. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
D)The use of ‘the’ with ancient Egypt is inappropriate. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘b’.

Note: A definite article is only used with some specified countries and regions. Example- The United States of America, The Republic of China, etc.