Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blanks. If no article is…
2025
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blanks. If no article is needed, select "No article required".
He was awarded ______ prize for his research in ______ literature.
- A.
the ; the
- B.
No article required ; the
- C.
a ; No article required
- D.
the ; a
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: English uses three article choices for a noun: the indefinite article "a"/"an" for a singular countable noun introduced for the first time or referred to as one non-specific instance; the definite article "the" for a noun that is specific and already identified from context; and the zero article (no article at all) for uncountable nouns, abstract nouns, and academic fields or subjects named in a general sense, e.g. "music," "history," or "literature".
Application: In "He was awarded ______ prize for his research in ______ literature," "prize" is a singular countable noun with no earlier mention establishing which specific prize is meant, so it takes the indefinite article "a". "Literature" here names an academic field in a general sense rather than a specific, already-identified body of work, so it takes the zero article. This yields "a prize" and "literature" with no article.
Cross-check: Substituting "the" for the first blank would only be correct if a particular, already-identified prize had been mentioned earlier in the sentence, which it has not; substituting "the" or "a" for the second blank would only be correct if "literature" referred to a specific, already-identified body of work or were being treated as a countable unit, neither of which applies to a general academic field. This confirms the indefinite-plus-zero-article pairing is the only internally consistent choice.
Contrast with the other options:
"the ; the" pairs the definite article with both nouns, which would require each noun to already be a specific, identified referent in context -- not the case here for either blank.
"No article required ; the" omits the article before "prize" (a first-mention countable noun that needs an article) and instead applies "the" before "literature" (which is not being referred to as a specific, already-identified body of work).
"the ; a" applies "the" before "prize" (which has no earlier identification in context) and "a" before "literature" (treating an abstract academic field as a countable noun).
Result: The consistent choice is "a ; No article required" -- "He was awarded a prize for his research in literature."