Question

I think it would be nice to buy him MP3 player as New year's gift.

• A. an / the
• B. the / a
• C. a / a
• D. an / a

Hint:

Think about the sound at the start of the next word, not its spelling.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

This question tests use of the indefinite articles "a" and "an". The choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound at the start of the next word, not on its spelling.

1. an / the: "MP3" starts with the vowel sound "em", so "an MP3 player" is correct for the first blank. But "the" before "New Year's gift" wrongly turns a general gift into one specific gift already known to the reader, so this pair is wrong.
2. the / a: "the MP3 player" would mean a particular player already mentioned, which the sentence does not support, so this pair is wrong.
3. a / a: "MP3" is said as "em-pee-three", so it needs "an", not "a". This pair is wrong for the first blank.
4. an / a: "an MP3 player" matches the vowel sound of "em", and "a New Year's gift" fits because the gift is not a specific one known to both speakers. This pair is correct.

The letter "M" is spelled with a consonant but said with a vowel sound, so words like "MP3", "MBA", and "SMS" all take "an". The second blank needs the general article "a" since the gift being talked about is not identified elsewhere in the sentence.

Let's summarize:

• Use "an" before a word that starts with a vowel sound, even if the first letter is a consonant.
• Use "a" for a non-specific, first-mentioned noun, and "the" only for something already known or unique.

So the correct pair of articles is "an" and "a", which makes option (d) the right answer.