Select the sentence in which the article has been wrongly used.

Question

Accepted Answer

Here is the explanation for the given question:

**Explanation:**

The correct answer is **Option 1: He is a MA.**

**Why Option 1 is correct (article wrongly used):**

*   The choice between the indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' depends on the *sound* of the word immediately following the article, not necessarily its spelling.
*   'An' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
*   'A' is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
*   In the phrase "He is a MA," the abbreviation "MA" (Master of Arts) is pronounced as /ɛm eɪ/. The initial sound /ɛm/ starts with a vowel sound (like the 'e' in 'egg').
*   Therefore, according to the rules of article usage, the correct article to use before "MA" is "an," making the sentence "He is **an** MA."
*   Since "a" is used instead of "an," the article has been wrongly used in this sentence.

**Why other options are incorrect (article correctly used):**

*   **Option 2: Twelve inches make a foot.**
    *   The word "foot" begins with a consonant sound /f/.
    *   The article "a" is correctly used before a word starting with a consonant sound.
    *   Therefore, the article usage is correct.

*   **Option 3: A pupil should obey his teacher.**
    *   The word "pupil" begins with a consonant sound /p/.
    *   The article "a" is correctly used before a word starting with a consonant sound.
    *   Therefore, the article usage is correct.

*   **Option 4: He is a European.**
    *   Although "European" starts with the vowel letter 'E', its initial sound is /jʊər/ (like the 'y' in 'you'), which is a consonant sound.
    *   The article "a" is correctly used before a word starting with a consonant sound.
    *   Therefore, the article usage is correct.