Fill in the blank with the correct option.
It is __________ pity to trust a dishonest person.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → a
Complete sentence: It is a pity to trust a dishonest person. "Pity" begins with the consonant sound /p/, so it takes a.
| Option | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) an | An is used before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour). "Pity" starts with a consonant sound. | – |
| (2) a (answer) | A is the indefinite article, used before a singular countable noun that begins with a consonant sound. In the fixed pattern It is a pity (that / to ...), pity means a cause for regret and always takes "a". | It is a pity that you missed the show. |
| (3) the | The points to a particular, already known thing. The idiom "it is a pity" never takes "the". | – |
| (4) none | Without an article the sentence "It is pity to trust ..." is ungrammatical. Pity in this sense needs a. | – |