Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable article from the options given.
I need _________ onion and _________ tomato for salad.

• A. the, the
• B. an, a
• C. an, the
• D. the, a

Answer 1

The correct option is B an, a

1. 'An/A' is used as an indefinite article for a thing or person when the reader doesn't know which one we are referring to out of many nouns. It states the random nature of the subject.
2. 'The' is used as a definite article for a thing or person when the reader knows which one we are exactly referring to. It states the specific nature of the subject.
   

Option B is correct as Onion having a vowel sound goes with 'An'. Similarly, Tomato having a consonant sound goes with 'A' in context. Option A is incorrect as 'the onion' and 'the tomato" means two specific vegetables but not random in nature which is opposite in context to the given sentence. Here the speaker talks about any onion and any tomato. Option C is incorrect as 'The' indicates a specific tomato known to the readerwhich is incorrect in context to the given sentence. Option D is incorrect as 'The onion' means something specific that is known to the reader previously which is incorrect to the context of the sentence as it is random in nature. It speaks of any onion.