Ravi had … younger brother who taught at … university. He was widely regarded as … honorable man. Select the option with the correct sequence of articles to fill in the blanks.
Topic-wise GATE CS PYQs with verified steps
GATE CSE 2025 Set 1 · Q1
Time
Select one answerSingle correct
Solution
Official answer: A) a; a; an
Verbal AptitudeThe correct choice of indefinite articles depends on the initial phonetic sound of the succeeding word:
younger brother: Begins with the consonant sound (like 'y'), so the appropriate article is a.
university: Begins with the consonant sound , so the appropriate article is a.
honorable man: The letter 'h' is silent, so the word begins with the vowel sound , requiring the article an.
Thus, the correct sequence of articles is a; a; an, which corresponds to Option (A).
Try the question first, then check your work.
Examiner trap
Articles *a* and *an* are chosen based on the initial phonetic sound (vowel vs. consonant sound) of the word following them, not merely the starting letter.
This Verbal Aptitude previous year question is Q1 of the GATE CSE 2025 Set 1 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on Verbal Aptitude in General Aptitude, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.
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Verbal Aptitude has 41 GATE CSE PYQs across 13 papers from 2011 to 2026. 29 of them are 1-mark MCQs like this one, and GATE CSE 2025 Set 1 has 2.
How GATE tests Verbal AptitudeIndependent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.