TSA CBT Practice Test

What type of word is an article?

1. A word that connects nouns

2. A word that joins sentences

3. A word that refers to a noun

4. A word that indicates possession

The correct answer is: A word that refers to a noun

The correct answer is indeed about how an article functions in relation to nouns. Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. The two types of articles in English are definite (the) and indefinite (a, an). Using an article helps clarify the reference of the noun within a sentence. For example, saying "the cat" implies a specific cat that the speaker and listener are familiar with, while "a cat" refers to any cat in general. The other options pertain more to different categories of words: words that connect nouns typically relate to conjunctions, those that join sentences are conjunctions as well, and words that indicate possession involve possessive pronouns or forms. Therefore, recognizing articles as words that refer directly to nouns provides a clear understanding of their role in language.