The correct answer is: C. no article, the, the
The first blank should be left without an article because “water” is a general noun. The second blank should be filled with “the” because it is a specific noun referring to a particular elixir of life. The third blank should also be filled with “the” because it is a specific noun referring to the water in the pond.
Here is a more detailed explanation of each option:
- A. the, the, the
This option is incorrect because it uses the definite article “the” twice in a row. The definite article is used to refer to specific nouns, and in this case, both “water” and “elixir of life” are general nouns.
- B. the, an, the
This option is incorrect because it uses the indefinite article “an” before “elixir of life.” The indefinite article is used to refer to non-specific nouns, and in this case, “elixir of life” is a specific noun.
- C. no article, the, the
This option is correct because it uses the correct article for each noun. The first blank should be left without an article because “water” is a general noun. The second blank should be filled with “the” because it is a specific noun referring to a particular elixir of life. The third blank should also be filled with “the” because it is a specific noun referring to the water in the pond.
- D. no article, the, an
This option is incorrect because it uses the indefinite article “an” before “the.” The indefinite article is used to refer to non-specific nouns, and in this case, “the” is a specific noun.