GATE2025_CS1_Q1

Question: Ravi had ____ younger brother who taught at ____ university. He was widely regarded as ____ honorable man.

Select the option with the correct sequence of articles to fill in the blanks.

✅ Final Answer:

The correct sequence of articles is (a; a; an), which corresponds to option (A).

🔹 Short Answer:

The selection of the indefinite article ('a' or 'an') is based on the initial sound of the word that follows. 'a' is used before consonant sounds, and 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
1. "a younger brother" - 'younger' starts with a consonant sound (/j/).
2. "a university" - 'university' starts with a consonant sound (/juː/).
3. "an honorable man" - 'honorable' starts with a vowel sound ('o' sound, as the 'h' is silent).

🔸 Long Answer:

This question tests the fundamental rule of using indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' in English grammar. The core principle is that the choice is determined by the phonetic (sound) properties of the next word, not its spelling.

The Rule of Indefinite Articles

• Use 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound.
• Use 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound.

Let's break down the sentence blank by blank:

1. Ravi had a younger brother...
   The word is "younger". It starts with the letter 'y', which produces a consonant sound /j/ (like in "yes"). Therefore, the correct article is a.
2. ...who taught at a university.
   This is a classic tricky case. The word "university" starts with the vowel letter 'u', but its pronunciation is /juːnɪˈvɜːrsəti/. The initial sound is /j/, the same consonant sound as in "younger". Because it starts with a consonant sound, the correct article is a. Other similar examples include "a European," "a one-dollar bill."
3. ...regarded as an honorable man.
   Here, the word "honorable" starts with the consonant letter 'h', but the 'h' is silent. The word's pronunciation is /ˈɒnərəbəl/, beginning with the vowel sound /ɒ/. Since it starts with a vowel sound, the correct article is an. Other similar examples include "an hour," "an heir."

Word	Initial Letter	Initial Sound	Correct Article
younger	y (consonant)	/j/ (consonant sound)	a
university	u (vowel)	/j/ (consonant sound)	a
honorable	h (consonant)	/ɒ/ (vowel sound)	an

Combining these results, the correct sequence is a; a; an. This makes option (A) the correct choice.

Bibliography:
- Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press. (Section on Articles: a/an).
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). "Using Articles." Purdue University.

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