How do you determine if an element is a metal, nonmetal or metalloid?

Metals may be hammered into sheets and are malleable, ductile, and excellent conductors of heat and electricity (they can be drawn into wire). At room temperature, the majority of metals are solids and have a distinctive silvery lustre (except for mercury, which is a liquid).
The metals have lower electron affinities and lower ionisation energies than other elements because of their position further to the left on the periodic table. As a result, they lose electrons more readily and obtain them more challengingly. Additionally, since they have a limited number of valence electrons, they may more readily lose their valence electrons to produce positively charged cations, which can then form ions and meet the octet rule.

There are two main forms of bonding that can occur when components combine to produce compounds. Covalent bonds, which arise when atoms share electrons to create neutral molecules, and ionic bonds, which develop when electrons are transferred from one species to another, produce charged ions that are very strongly attracted to one another by electrostatic interactions. In general, nonmetals mix with other nonmetals to produce covalent compounds, while nonmetals combine with metals to generate ionic compounds (molecules).

Nonmetals lack malleability and ductility, are often poor heat and electricity conductors, and many of the basic nonmetals are gases at room temperature. Other nonmetals can also be liquids or solids.
Nonmetals are located further to the right on the periodic table and have high ionisation energy and electron affinities, which make it easier for them to absorb electrons and more difficult for them to lose them. Additionally, they contain more valence electrons and are almost an entire octet of eight electrons.

The nonmetals pick up electrons until they have as many as the closest noble gas (Group 8A), at which point they form negatively charged anions with charges equal to the group number minus eight. In other words, Group 7A nonmetals make a single charge, Group 6A nonmetals create charges, and Group 5A metals create triple charges. The Group 8A elements do not readily form ionic or molecular compounds and already contain eight electrons in their valence shells. They also have limited inclination to add or lose electrons.

Hence, option A is correct.