Choose the correct option to fill in the blank of the given sentence :
Gold is _______ precious metal.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → a
Complete sentence: Gold is a precious metal. "Precious" begins with the consonant sound /p/.
| Option | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) the | "The precious metal" would mean one particular metal already known, or the only precious metal. Gold is only one of several (silver, platinum ...). | – |
| (2) an | "An" is used before a vowel sound. "Precious" begins with a consonant sound. | – |
| (3) a (answer) | A / an is used before a singular countable noun when it means one of a class: Gold is one of the precious metals. A comes before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound. | The rose is a beautiful flower. |
| (4) as | "As" is a conjunction or preposition, not an article. "Gold is as precious metal" is ungrammatical. | – |