Direction: Fill in the blank with the most appropriate article — a, an, or the…
2026
Direction: Fill in the blank with the most appropriate article — a, an, or the — or, if no article is needed, choose the "no article" option.
He is considered ____ heir to a vast fortune.
- A.
a
- B.
the
- C.
an
- D.
no article
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: The indefinite articles "a" and "an" are chosen based on the sound that begins the next word, not on its spelling — "a" precedes a consonant sound, and "an" precedes a vowel sound. A number of words spelled with an initial letter "h" actually begin with a silent "h" and are therefore treated as starting with a vowel sound (for example "hour", "honest", "heir"). The definite article "the" marks a noun that is already specific or known to speaker and listener, and dropping the article altogether is used for plural or uncountable nouns or fixed expressions, not for a singular countable noun being introduced for the first time.
Application: In "He is considered ____ heir to a vast fortune," the word "heir" is pronounced with a silent initial "h" (it starts with the vowel sound /e/), so it behaves as a vowel-sound word for article purposes. It is also a singular countable noun being introduced generally, not one specific, already-identified heir. The article that agrees with a vowel-sound word introduced for the first time is "an": "He is considered an heir to a vast fortune."
A word beginning with a consonant sound (e.g., "a house", "a university" — the "u" here sounds like /y/) takes "a"; "heir" begins with a vowel sound because its "h" is silent, so "a" does not fit.
"The" marks a noun already specific or previously identified to the reader; the sentence introduces the role of an heir in general, not one particular already-known heir, so the definite article does not fit.
Dropping the article entirely suits a plural or uncountable noun, or a fixed expression without one; "heir" here is a singular countable noun being introduced for the first time, so it needs an article.
Cross-check: The same silent-"h" pattern applies to "an hour", "an honest man", and "an heirloom" — all take "an" despite the initial consonant letter, confirming that pronunciation (not spelling) governs the choice. Result: "an" is the article that correctly completes the sentence — "He is considered an heir to a vast fortune."