The
word "the" is one of the most common words in English. It is our only
definite article. Nouns in English are preceded by the definite article when
the speaker believes that the listener already knows what he is referring to.
The speaker may believe this for many different reasons, some of which are
listed below.
WHEN TO USE "THE"
GENERAL RULES
Use the
to refer to something which has already been mentioned.
EXAMPLES
§ On
Monday, an unarmed man stole $1,000 from the bank. The thief hasn't
been caught yet.
§ I
was walking past Benny's Bakery when I decided to go into the bakery to
get some bread.
§ There's
a position available in my team. The job will involve some
international travel.
Use the when
you assume there is just one of something in that place, even if it has not
been mentioned before.
EXAMPLES
§ We
went on a walk in the forest yesterday.
§ Where
is the bathroom?
§ Turn
left and go to number 45. Our house is across from the Italian
restaurant.
§ My
father enjoyed the book you gave him.
Use the in
sentences or clauses where you define or identify a particular person or
object.
EXAMPLES
§ The
man who
wrote this book is famous.
§ I
scratched the red car parked outside.
§ I
live in the small house with a blue door.
§ He
is the doctor I came to see.
Use the
to refer to people or objects that are unique.
EXAMPLES
§ The
sun rose
at 6:17 this morning.
§ You
can go anywhere in the world.
§ Clouds
drifted across the sky.
§ The
president will be speaking on TV tonight.
§ The
CEO of
Total is coming to our meeting.
Use the before
superlatives and ordinal numbers.
EXAMPLES
§ This
is the highest building in New York.
§ She
read the last chapter of her new book first.
§ You
are the tallest person in our class.
§ This
is the third time I have called you today.
Use the
with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people.
EXAMPLES
§ The
French enjoy cheese.
§ The
elderly require special attention.
§ She
has given a lot of money to the poor.
§ The rich
are happy.
Use the with
decades.
EXAMPLES
§ He
was born in the seventies.
§ This
is a painting from the 1820's.
Use the with
clauses introduced by only
EXAMPLES
§ This
is the only day we've had sunshine all week.
§ You
are the only person he will listen to.
§ The
only tea I like is black tea.
PROPER NOUNS
Use the with
names of geographical areas, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands,
canals, and oceans.
EXAMPLES
§ They
are travelling in the Arctic.
§ Our
ship crossed the Atlantic in 7 days.
§ I
will go on a cruise down the Nile.
§ Hiking
across the Rocky Mountains would be difficult.
Use the with
countries that have plural names
EXAMPLES
§ I
have never been to the Netherlands.
§ Do
you know anyone who lives in the Philippines?
Use the with
countries that include the words "republic", "kingdom", or
"states" in their names.
EXAMPLES
§ She
is visiting the United States.
§ James
is from the Republic of Ireland.
Use the with
newspaper names.
EXAMPLES
§ I
read it in the Guardian.
§ She
works for the New York Times.
Use the with
the names of famous buildings, works of art, museums, or monuments.
EXAMPLES
§ Have
you been to the Vietnam Memorial?
§ We
went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa.
§ I
would like to visit the Eiffel Tower.
§ I
saw King Lear at the Globe.
Use the with
the names of hotels & restaurants, unless these are named after a person.
EXAMPLES
§ They
are staying at the Hilton on 6th street.
§ We
ate at the Golden Lion.
Use the with
the names of families, but not with the names of individuals.
EXAMPLES
§ We're
having dinner with the Smiths tonight.
§ The
Browns are going to the play with us.
WHEN NOT TO USE "THE"
Do
not use the with names of countries (except for the special
cases above).
EXAMPLES
§ Germany
is an important economic power.
§ He's
just returned from Zimbabwe.
Do
not use the with the names of languages.
EXAMPLES
§ French
is spoken in Tahiti.
§ English
uses many words of Latin origin.
§ Indonesian
is a relatively new language.
Do
not use the with the names of meals.
EXAMPLES
§ Lunch
is my favorite meal.
§ I
like to eat breakfast early.
Do
not use the with people's names.
EXAMPLES
§ John
is coming over later.
§ Mary
Carpenter is my boss.
Do
not use the with titles when combined with names.
EXAMPLES
§ Prince
Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
§ President
Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Do
not use the after the 's possessive case
EXAMPLES
§ His
brother's car was stolen.
§ Peter's
house is over there.
Do
not use the with professions
EXAMPLES
§ Engineering
is a well-paid career.
§ He'll
probably study medicine.
Do
not use the with names of shops
EXAMPLES
§ I'll
get the card at Smith's.
§ Can
you go to Boots for me?
Do
not use the with years
EXAMPLES
§ 1948
was a wonderful year.
§ He
was born in 1995.
Do
not use the with uncountable nouns
EXAMPLES
§ Rice
is an important food in Asia.
§ Milk
is often added to tea in England.
§ War
is destructive.
Do
not use the with the names of individual mountains, lakes and
islands
EXAMPLES
§ Mount
McKinley is the highest mountain in Alaska.
§ She
lives near Lake Windermere.
§ Have
you visited Long Island?
Do
not use the with most names of towns, streets, stations and
airports
EXAMPLES
§ Victoria
Station is in the center of London.
§ Can
you direct me to Bond Street?
§ She
lives in Florence.
§ They're
flying into Heathrow.
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