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SSC CGL Articles

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This page covers SSC CGL Articles with complete concept notes, 52 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.

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Concept Notes

Articles— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
There are only three articles in English

'a', 'an', and 'the'. They tell us whether a noun is specific or general. Master this topic and you can score easy marks in every SSC CGL paper. --- TYPES OF ARTICLES 1. INDEFINITE ARTICLES — 'A' and 'AN' These refer to any one item from a group.

The noun is not specific. - 'A' is used before words that begin with a CONSONANT SOUND. - 'AN' is used before words that begin with a VOWEL SOUND. KEY RULE — It is the SOUND that matters, not the letter

Formula

A + Consonant Sound | AN + Vowel Sound Examples: - A university (sounds like 'yoo' — consonant sound) - An umbrella (sounds like 'um' — vowel sound) - An honest man (H is silent — vowel sound 'o') - A one-rupee coin (sounds like 'wun' — consonant sound) 2. DEFINITE ARTICLE — 'THE' This refers to a specific noun that is already known to both the speaker and listener

Use 'THE' when

- Something is unique: the sun, the moon, the sky - Something is mentioned for the second time: I saw a dog. The dog was black. - A superlative is used: the best, the tallest - A musical instrument is played: She plays the guitar - Names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, groups of islands: the Ganga, the Pacific Ocean, the Alps, the Andamans - Names of newspapers: the Hindu, the Times of India - Names of holy books: the Quran, the Bible, the Gita - Ordinal numbers: the first, the third NO ARTICLE (Zero Article) Rule: Do NOT use any article before: - Names of languages: He speaks Hindi (NOT the Hindi) - Names of sports: She plays cricket - Names of individual mountains, lakes, islands: Mount Everest, Lake Victoria - Names of meals in general: We had dinner - Plural nouns used in general sense: Dogs are loyal animals ---

Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

— HOW IT IS ASKED IN SSC CGL - Error Spotting: One part of a sentence has a wrong or missing article. - Fill in the Blanks: Choose correct article from options. - Sentence Improvement: Replace incorrect article with correct one. The most tested areas are: silent letters, vowel sound vs vowel letter, unique nouns, and zero article rules. ---

ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question

Trick 1 — THE SOUND RULE (Most tested shortcut) Always pronounce the word in your head before choosing 'a' or 'an'. Formula: Say the word aloud → First sound = Vowel → AN | First sound = Consonant → A Example: 'An MBA degree' — M sounds like 'em' (vowel sound) → use AN Trick 2 — THE SECOND MENTION RULE First mention = 'a/an', Second mention = 'the' Formula: 1st time → A/AN | 2nd time → THE Example: I bought a pen. The pen was red. Trick 3 — RASON Formula for 'THE' R = Rivers, A = Articles (newspapers/books), S = Superlatives, O = Oceans/Seas, N = Named ranges (mountain ranges) Whenever you see these, use THE automatically. ---

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Look at the word after the blank — 'honest'

2
Step 2

Pronounce 'honest' — the H is silent, it sounds like 'onest'

3
Step 3

First sound is a vowel sound ('o')

4
Step 4

Vowel sound → use AN Answer: (B) an WORKED EXAMPLE 2 Question: ___ Ganga is a sacred river. Options: (A) A (B) An (C) The (D) No article

1
Step 1

'Ganga' is a river name.

2
Step 2

Apply RASON rule — R = Rivers → use THE

3
Step 3

Also, rivers are unique geographical features → THE is correct. Answer: (C) The ---

Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these

— THE NUMBER 1 TRAP Students look at the LETTER, not the SOUND. - They write 'a honest man' because H is a consonant letter — WRONG - They write 'an university' because U is a vowel letter — WRONG Remember: Articles depend on SOUND, not SPELLING. This single rule causes the most errors in SSC CGL every year.

Key Points to Remember

  • Articles are of two types: Indefinite (a, an) and Definite (the).
  • Formula: A + Consonant Sound | AN + Vowel Sound — based on SOUND, not letter.
  • Silent H words always take AN: an hour, an honest person, an heir.
  • Words starting with vowel letters but consonant sounds take A: a university, a one-way road, a European country.
  • Shortcut RASON: use THE before Rivers, Articles (books/papers), Superlatives, Oceans, Named mountain ranges.
  • Second mention rule: first time use A/AN, second time use THE.
  • No article before names of languages, sports, individual mountains, and meals in general.
  • Abbreviations read letter by letter use AN if the first letter sounds like a vowel: an MBA, an FIR, an MLA.
  • Unique objects in the world always take THE: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky.
  • Superlatives always need THE: the best, the most intelligent, the fastest — no exception.

Exam-Specific Tips

  • There are exactly 3 articles in English: a, an, the.
  • 'A' and 'AN' are called Indefinite Articles; 'THE' is called the Definite Article.
  • 'An MBA' is correct because M is pronounced 'em' — a vowel sound, even though M is a consonant letter.
  • 'A university' is correct because U is pronounced 'yoo' — a consonant sound, even though U is a vowel letter.
  • 'An hour' is correct because H is silent, making the first sound the vowel 'ow'.
  • Names of rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, and groups of islands take 'the' but individual mountains and lakes do not.
  • Holy books take 'the': the Gita, the Bible, the Quran — this is a direct exam fact.
  • Newspapers take 'the': the Hindu, the Times of India — article is part of their standard reference.
Practice MCQs

Articles — Practice Questions

52graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 52

All MCQs →
Practice 1easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: The teacher asked (A) / a student to solve (B) / the difficult problem (C) / on the board. (D) / No error (E)

Practice 2easy

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error: (A) The teacher gave / (B) the students / (C) a unique opportunity / (D) to participate in the competition. / (E) No error

Practice 3easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: He is studying (A) / at the university (B) / to become a doctor (C) / and pursue an ambition. (D) / No error (E)

Practice 4easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: The manager gave (A) / a valuable advice (B) / to the new employee (C) / yesterday. (D) / No error (E)

Practice 5easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: She has been working (A) / as an engineer (B) / in the company (C) / for the last five years. (D) / No error (E)

Practice 6easy

Choose the correct set of articles to fill in the blanks: ______ sun rises in ______ east and sets in ______ west.

Practice 7easy

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error: (A) He is / (B) a honest man / (C) who has / (D) earned respect from everyone. / (E) No error

Practice 8easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. If there is no error, select 'No error'. The teacher asked (A) a student / (B) to solve an / (C) difficult problem on the / (D) blackboard. / No error (E)

Practice 9easy

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error: (A) The committee decided / (B) to appoint / (C) an new director / (D) for the organization. / (E) No error

Practice 10easy

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error: (A) The manager asked / (B) an employee / (C) to submit / (D) the report by Friday. / (E) No error

Practice 11easy

In the following sentence, identify the part containing an error: (A) She is / (B) a intelligent student / (C) who always / (D) completes her work on time. / (E) No error

Practice 12easy

Identify the error in the sentence: The doctor advised (A) / him to take (B) / an rest (C) / and avoid strenuous activities (D). No error (E)

Practice 13easy

Identify the error in the sentence: The committee (A) / has decided to appoint (B) / a new director (C) / for the organisation (D). No error (E)

Practice 14easy

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error. (A) He is one of / (B) the most talented / (C) an artist / (D) in the country. / (E) No error

Practice 15easy

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error. (A) She has been working / (B) as a teacher / (C) in a school / (D) for the past five years. / (E) No error

Practice 16easy

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error. (A) The manager asked / (B) the employee to submit / (C) a report by / (D) the end of the week. / (E) No error

Practice 17easy

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error. (A) The committee has decided / (B) to award / (C) the scholarship to / (D) an deserving student. / (E) No error

Practice 18easy

In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error. (A) The students were asked / (B) to read / (C) an interesting novel / (D) during the summer holidays. / (E) No error

Practice 19easy

Identify the error in the sentence: The manager asked (A) / a employee (B) / to submit (C) / the report by Friday (D). No error (E)

Practice 20easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: The committee has decided (A) / to provide a scholarship (B) / to the deserving student (C) / from the underprivileged background. (D) / No error (E)

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60-Second Revision — Articles

  • Remember: A/AN depends on SOUND of the next word, NOT the spelling or the letter.
  • Trick: AN before vowel sounds (an egg, an hour, an MBA) | A before consonant sounds (a user, a one-way street).
  • Formula RASON: THE is used before Rivers, newspapers/holy books, Superlatives, Oceans/seas, Named mountain ranges.
  • Rule: First mention of a noun → A/AN | Second mention of the same noun → THE.
  • Trap: Do NOT write 'an university' or 'a honest man' — these are the most common errors in SSC CGL.
  • Zero Article: No article before names of languages (Hindi, French), sports (cricket, football), or individual peaks (Mount Everest).
  • Remember: Unique things in the universe always take THE — the sun, the moon, the equator, the earth.
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