article question

[Honey]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #98 "Articles in English Grammar", question 7

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw ......... elephant crossing the road in front of my school yesterday.

(a) a
(b) an
(c) the

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #98 "Articles in English Grammar", answer 7

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw an elephant crossing the road in front of my school yesterday.

Correct answer: (b) an
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i'm confused. the answer could also be 'the,' right?

Honey

[Mister Micawber]

.
I agree. Either answer is grammatically and logically possible.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Alan]

Hi Honey,

I agree obviously with Charles. But perhaps it's worth looking at the sense of the sentence more closely. Clearly the speaker/writer of the sentence is extremely surprised because the last thing they expected to see was 'an' elephant in contrast to a cat, a dog or a horse. By using 'the' elephant in this sentence you would suggest that you are talking about the elephant perhaps that you saw at the circus the day before - in other words 'the' would define or specify.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a flat hunter