This page covers Delhi Police Constable Articles with complete concept notes, 52 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
There are only three articles
'a', 'an', and 'the'. Yet students lose easy marks here. Let's master this topic.
CORE CONCEPT
Articles are words that come before nouns. They tell us if we're talking about something specific or general. 'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles (general). 'The' is definite article (specific).
KEY RULES
1
Use 'a' before consonant sounds
a book, a university (yu-sound)
2
Use 'an' before vowel sounds
an apple, an hour (silent h)
3
Use 'the' for specific things
the book you gave me
4
No article with plural general nouns
Books are useful (not 'The books')
5
No article with uncountable nouns in general sense
Water is life
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Sound Rule: Listen to SOUND, not spelling
- a + consonant sound (a one-way street - 'w' sound)
- an + vowel sound (an MBA - 'em' sound)
Specific vs General Rule:
- First mention = a/an (I saw a dog)
- Second mention = the (The dog was black)
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
1
Fill in blanks with correct article
2
Error spotting in article usage
3
Choose correct sentence from options
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
1
HOUN Rule
2
H: Silent H = an (an hour, an honest man)
3
H: Pronounced H = a (a house, a horse)
4
U: 'yu' sound = a (a university, a union)
5
U: 'u' sound = an (an umbrella, an uncle)
6
O: 'o' sound = an (an orange, an office)
7
O: 'w' sound = a (a one-day match)
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Check the sound after the article
2
Step 2
'Honest' starts with silent H
3
Step 3
Silent H = vowel sound = 'an'
Answer: an
WORKED EXAMPLE 2
Question: 'I bought a book. ___ book was expensive.'
1
Step 1
First mention of book = indefinite article 'a'
2
Step 2
Second mention = specific book = 'the'
3
Step 3
Reader knows which book we're talking about
Answer: The
SHORTCUT 2 - Zero Article Rule
No article needed with:
- Proper nouns: Delhi, India, Ram
- Abstract nouns in general: Love is blind
- Subjects/Languages: Mathematics, English
- Meals in general: after breakfast
- Diseases: diabetes, cancer
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
#1
Students use spelling instead of sound. They write 'a hour' because H is consonant in spelling. But 'hour' sounds like 'our' - vowel sound.
So it's 'an hour'. Always check SOUND, not SPELLING.
SHORTCUT 3 - Superlative Rule
Always use 'the' with superlatives:
- the best student
- the most beautiful girl
- the highest mountain
This rule has zero exceptions in SSC exams.
Key Points to Remember
Sound Rule: Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds - check pronunciation, not spelling
HOUN Rule: Silent H and 'u' sound take 'an'; pronounced H and 'yu' sound take 'a'
Specific Rule: First mention uses a/an, second mention uses 'the'
Zero Article: No article with proper nouns, abstract nouns, subjects, meals, diseases in general sense
Superlative Rule: Always use 'the' with superlatives like 'the best', 'the most'
Uncountable nouns take no article in general sense: Water is life, not 'The water is life'
Plural nouns take no article in general sense: Books are useful, not 'The books are useful'
Musical instruments always take 'the': play the piano, the guitar, the violin
Unique things take 'the': the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky
Directions and positions take 'the': the north, the top, the bottom, the right
Exam-Specific Tips
Articles appear in 2-3 questions every SSC CGL exam
Only three articles exist in English: a, an, the
Silent H words take 'an': honest, hour, heir, honor
University, union, European take 'a' due to 'yu' consonant sound
One-day, one-way take 'a' due to 'w' consonant sound
All superlative forms must use 'the': the best, the worst, the highest
Musical instruments always take 'the': the piano, the guitar, the flute
Abstract nouns in general sense take zero article: love, hatred, honesty
Practice MCQs
Articles — Practice Questions
52graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 52
Choose the correct set of articles to fill in the blanks: ______ sun rises in ______ east and sets in ______ west.
Practice 2easy
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 3easy
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 4easy
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 5easy
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 6easy
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 7easy
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 8easy
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 9easy
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 10easy
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 11easy
Identify the error in the sentence:
The principal (A) / has given (B) / an award to (C) / a student who scored highest marks (D). No error (E)
Practice 12easy
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 13easy
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 14easy
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 15easy
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 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
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)
Practice 18easy
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 19easy
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 20easy
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)
32 more practice questions in the Study Panel
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