Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.

What do you normally have for ______ breakfast?

The correct answer is 'no article'.

Key Points

• Articles in English (a, an, the) have very specific rules regarding their usage.
• In the case of this sentence, the focus is on the word "breakfast".
• "Breakfast" is a non-count noun when it is used to refer to a specific meal.
• Therefore, it is not preceded by an indefinite article (a or an).
• 'No article' is used when we talk about meals, i.e., breakfast, lunch, dinner, unless we're referring to a specific meal.
• In the sentence "What do you normally have for breakfast?", no article is required before 'breakfast'.
• The omission of articles before meal times is a conventional rule in English.
• Using no article before breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. is a standard practice when speaking about these meals in general terms.
• Hence, "no article" is the correct answer for the blank in this sentence.
• When speaking about general habits or routines, as in this sentence, the correct form would be "for breakfast," "for lunch," or "for dinner," without any article.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3 ('no article').

Additional Information

• The definite article 'the' (Option 1) is used when referring to something specific or when the speaker and listener both know what is being discussed.
  • For instance, we would say "the breakfast I had this morning was delicious," where 'the breakfast' refers to a specific meal that both the speaker and listener are aware of. This isn't applicable in the given sentence because it's asking about breakfast in general, not a specific instance.
• 'A' (Option 2) and 'an' (Option 4) are indefinite articles and are used before singular, countable nouns. They are used when the speaker is referring to something for the first time or something that isn't specifically known to the listener.
  • 'Breakfast', in the given context, is not countable (we can't say "a breakfast" in this context), so these options are incorrect.
  • In some instances, 'a' could be used before 'breakfast' if it's in a context where 'breakfast' is being considered a type or kind of meal, such as "a breakfast of bacon and eggs." However, in the sentence given, we're talking about the routine or habit of eating breakfast, not a specific type or instance, so 'a' isn't appropriate.