Choose the most appropriate article to fill in the blank:
The new park near our colony has wide paths and shaded benches for ______ elderly.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → the
Complete sentence: The new park near our colony has wide paths and shaded benches for the elderly. “Elderly” means old, and no noun comes after it here.
| Option | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) a | “A” means any one person or thing, and a singular noun must come after it | A stray dog sleeps outside our gate. |
| (2) an | “an elderly” is used only when a noun comes after it, as in “an elderly man” | Neeraj helped an elderly man cross the road. |
| (3) the (answer) | “the” before a describing word with no noun after it means all people of that kind: “the elderly” means old people as a group | The temple serves free food to the poor. |
| (4) No article | without “the”, “elderly” is only a describing word. It cannot stand alone for a group of people | Our grandparents are elderly but very active. |