Complete the following sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. Do…

Concept

Articles signal whether a singular count noun is specific or general.

The definite article ‘the’ identifies a person or thing that the listener can distinguish in the context; ‘a/an’ introduces one non-specific member of a class.

Application

Here, “Charlie Chaplin” already identifies a particular person, and “actor” adds the identifying role by which the listener can recognize him. Therefore the noun phrase requires the definite article: “Charlie Chaplin, the actor.”

Contrast

• ‘that’ is a demonstrative determiner; ‘that actor’ points out an actor with a demonstrative emphasis, rather than neutrally identifying the already named person.

• ‘an’ is used before a vowel sound; “actor” begins with a vowel sound, but the indefinite meaning does not fit the intended identification of the already named person.

• ‘a’ is used before a consonant sound, whereas “actor” begins with a vowel sound.

Cross-check

Substituting the phrase gives the natural identification question, “Do you mean Charlie Chaplin, the actor?”

Thus the required word is “the”.