Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required’. Kolkata is a capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.
is the capital of the
Understanding Articles for Sentence Correction
The original sentence provided is: "Kolkata is a capital of the Indian state of West Bengal." We need to examine the underlined segment "is a capital of the" and determine if it needs substitution to make the sentence grammatically correct and natural-sounding.
This question tests our understanding of articles, specifically the use of 'a', 'an', and 'the'. Articles are used before nouns to specify whether the noun is general or specific.
Analysing Article Usage with Unique Nouns
When referring to something unique or one of a kind, like the capital city of a specific state or country, we typically use the definite article 'the'. For example:
- The Sun (there is only one Sun in our solar system)
- The President of India (a specific, unique position at any given time)
- The capital of France (Paris is the unique capital of France)
In the sentence, Kolkata is the specific and unique capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Therefore, referring to it as "a capital" implies there might be other capitals for the same state, which is incorrect. It should be "the capital".
Evaluating the Underlined Segment: "is a capital of the"
The use of the indefinite article 'a' before "capital" is inappropriate because Kolkata is the specific, unique capital of West Bengal. The phrase "of the Indian state of West Bengal" correctly uses 'the' because it refers to a specific, identified state.
Thus, the segment "is a capital of the" contains an error in the article used for "capital".
Examining the Options for Substitution
Let's look at the given options:
| Option | Analysis | Correctness |
|---|---|---|
was a capital of the |
Changes the tense from 'is' to 'was', suggesting it's no longer the capital, and keeps the incorrect article 'a' before 'capital'. | Incorrect |
No substitution required |
Claims the original sentence is correct, but as analysed, "a capital" is incorrect for a unique entity like a capital city. | Incorrect |
is the capital of the |
Keeps the correct tense 'is' and corrects the article before 'capital' from 'a' to 'the'. It correctly keeps 'the' before the specific state name. | Correct |
is a capital of a |
Keeps the incorrect article 'a' before 'capital' and changes the article before the specific state name ("Indian state of West Bengal") from 'the' to 'a', which is also incorrect. | Incorrect |
Conclusion on Sentence Correction
Based on the analysis of article usage, the most appropriate substitution for "is a capital of the" is "is the capital of the". This corrects the article used for "capital" to 'the', which is required for a unique entity like the capital city of a state.
The corrected sentence would read: "Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal."
Revision Table: Understanding Article Usage
| Article | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A / An | Used with singular, countable nouns when referring to a general instance or first mention. 'An' is used before vowel sounds. | a cat, an apple, a book, an hour |
| The | Used with specific or unique nouns, nouns already mentioned, or when the noun is understood from the context. | the sun, the moon, the capital, the book you gave me, the tallest building |
Additional Information: Articles and Proper Nouns
Generally, articles are not used before proper nouns (names of specific people, places, organizations), but there are exceptions. For geographical names, article usage can be complex (e.g., 'the United States', but 'France'). However, when a proper noun is described by a common noun modified by an adjective or phrase, an article is often needed before the common noun. In "the Indian state of West Bengal", 'West Bengal' is a proper noun, but it's part of the phrase "the Indian state of...", where 'state' is a common noun being specified. Thus, 'the' is correctly used here to refer to the specific state.
For unique titles or positions associated with a specific proper noun (like 'the capital of [Place]'), 'the' is used before the common noun ('capital') to indicate its unique role relative to that specific place.
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