Definite Article
Definite Article
âTheâ is a definite article. It refers to something and somebody particularly.
Usage
i) Referring Back:
âTheâ is used before a definite noun. When a noun is mentioned again, that is, when it
refers back to a noun mentioned already, it takes âtheâ.
Example:
This is an old palace. People believe that the palace was built 500 years ago.
ii) Representing Class:
âTheâ, like a/an, is used before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time
when it represents a class, that is, when âtheâ means âall/everyâ.
For example:
The camel is the ship of the desert.
The lion is a wild animal.
Note:
Man/mankind meaning âall men/womenâ does not take a/an/the:
For example:
Man is mortal. (not a/the man)
Mankind is searching for meaning.
iii) âtheâ is used before adjectives or participles to represent a class of people:
the rich, the poor, the dead, the dying, the injured/wounded
For example:
The rich are no necessarily happy
The blind deserve our sympathy.
iv) âtheâ is used before an adjective to denote a quality:
For example:
the white/yellow of an egg
the evil, the good, the beautiful
v) âTheâ used before a noun considered unique or extraordinary, that is, a noun
treated as equivalent to a superlative adjective. In this construction âtheâ means
âthe best, the only, or preciselyâ, so it has a heightening effect on the noun it modifies:
For example:
She is the bride for him.
This is the place for our picnic.
He is the authority on the subject.
vi) âTheâ is used before a noun whose identity is common knowledge or can be easily
inferred. In this construction âtheâ denotes a personâs title, rank, or profession
etc:
For example:
The President The Prime Minister
The Principal the King/Queen
The Prophet the bench/bar
The Postman the press/media
vii) âTheâ is used before a singular common noun (place/person) that can be easily
inferred from the situation:
For example:
the police station, the post office, the station, the radio
1. Would you close the gate, please?
2. She is listening to the radio.
3. He will be on the air tonight.
4. Turn on/off the tap, please.
Note:
a) radio always takes âtheâ:
She is listening to the radio.
Whatâs on the radio now?
b) âTheâ use of the before television is optional:
Whatâs on the television now?
Whatâs on television now?
But the is not used in the expression âwatch TVâ:
They are watching TV. (not, the TV)
viii) âTheâ is used before common nouns denoting musical instruments:
For example:
She is playing the violin/piano/sitar.
He is playing the drum/tabla.
He is accompanied on the violin by an Englishman. (not, She is playing harmonium.)
ix) âTheâ is used before a noun denoting a unit of measure to mean âeveryâ:
For example:
We buy petrol by the gallon/litre.
They are paid wages by the hour/week.
x) âTheâ is used before both countable and uncountable nouns (singular or plural)
that are made definite by:
a) preposition/preposition phrase
the boy with long hair
the woman in black
the milk in the bottle
the boys/girls/teachers of this school
b) a relative clause
the book/pen/milk/sugar/she bought yesterday
the water/tea/coffee he drinks every day
the birds/animals that live in a forest
xi) âTheâ is used before a noun placed by the side of a noun clause (that-clause).
For example:
1. The fact that Columbus discovered America is known to all.
xii) âTheâ is used before a singular countable noun to denote an attribute/a quality.
For example:
The monkey in man still survives.
The dancer in her is dead.
xiii) âTheâ is used before adjectives in the superlative degree:
the best book, the most beautiful, one of the wisest men, one of the most useful animals
Note: âtheâ is used in the construction like best/like most:
Which do you like best/most? (not, the best/the most)
N.B: âtheâ is not used before most/least when it is used in the sense of âveryâ.
For example: It is a most interesting story.
xiv) âTheâ is used before adjectives in the comparative degree (of the two):
For example:
She is the taller of the two girls.
He is the wiser of the two boys.
Note: the ... the
While expressing parallel increase/decrease âtheâ is used twice:
The older you grow the wiser you become.
The more you have the more you want.
xv) âTheâ is used before ordinal numbers and âonlyâ:
For example:
the first prize, the only hope, the only son, the second son
xvi) âTheâ is used before few/little + relative clause:
For example:
I have read the few books I have.
She has spent the little money she had.
xvii) âTheâ is used before the names of ranges of mountains and hills:
For example:
the Himalayas
the Alps
the Khasi hills
the Vindhyas
the Rocky Mountains
Note: âtheâ is not used before the following peaks or mountains:
Everest, Kailas, Kanchenjunga, Mont Blanc, Olympus, Snowdon, Mount Abu, Parasnath
Example:
The highest mountain in Alps is Mount Blanc.
We use mount (=mountain) and lake in the same way (without the):
Mount Everest (not the) Mount Etna, Lake Superior, Lake Constance
They live near the lake.
They live near Lake Constance. (not the Lake Constance)
xviii) âTheâ is used before names of groups of islands:
the Andamans
the West Indies
the Hebrides
the Maldives
the Bahamas
the Canaries
Note: âtheâ is not used before individual islands:
Crete, Malta, Bermuda, Ireland, Sicily, Sri Lanka
xix) âTheâ is used before names of gulfs, canals, seas, and oceans:
the Atlantic (ocean)
the Pacific (ocean)
the Indian (ocean)
the Mediterranean Sea
the Red Sea
the Persian Gulf
the Gulf of Mexico
the Panama Canal
the Suez Canal
xx) âTheâ is used before names of rivers/channels:
the Padma the Thames
the Brahmaputra the Avon
the Danube the Euphrates
the Ganga the Amazon
the Rhine the English Channel
the Tyne the Mississippi
the Nile the Bangla Channel
xxi) âTheâ is used before the name of these republics/kingdom/countries/states:
the Netherlands the Sudan
the Congo the Czech Republic
the UK the USA
the Philippines the GDR
the Netherlands
Compare:
Have you been to Canada or the United States?
xxii) âTheâ is used before the names of holy/great books:
the Quran the Bible
the Mahabharat the lliad
xxiii) âTheâ is used before names of newspaper:
the Daily Star the Daily Observer
the Times the Guardian
the Statesman the Economist
the Washington Post the Dawn
Note:
a) The is not used after noun +âs:
I havenât yet read todayâs Statesman. (not, the todayâs Statesman)
b) Names of magazines/periodicals are now usually used without âtheâ:
Punch, Outlook, Time Sunday, Today, Vogue
xxv) âTheâ is used before specifying any of the cardinal directions:
the east/west the north/south
xxv) âTheâ is used before names of inventions:
the telephone the microscope
the wheel the steam engine
Who invented the telephone? (not, telephone)
xxvi) âTheâ is used before a common noun considered unique:
the sun/moon the sky/earth
the world/universe the sea/air
xxvii) âTheâ is used before these nouns:
cathedral, cinema, pictures, theatre, office, station, museum, zoo
Example:
I am going to the pictures.
She is going to the cinema/theatre.
They are going to the zoo.
He is in the office now.
(not, She is going to station/museum.)
xxviii) âTheâ is used before the parts of oneâs body and articles of clothing:
The stone hit him on the shoulder.
The trouser you bought fits you well.
I held him by the tie/collar.
More Uses
a) the sky, the sea, the ground, the country, the environment:
We looked up at all the stars in the sky. (Not in sky)
Would you like to live country? (= not in a town)
We must do more to protect the environment. (=the natural world around us)
But we say space (without the) when we mean âspace in the universeâ .
Compare:
There are millions of stars in space. (not in the space)
I tried to park my car, but the space was too small.
b) We use âtheâ before âsameâ (the same):
Your pullover is the same colour as mine. (not âis same colourâ)
âAre these keys the same?â âNo, theyâre different.â
c) (go to) the cinema, the theatre:
I go to cinema a lot, but I havenât been to the theatre for ages.
When we say the cinema / the theatre, we do not necessarily mean a specific cinema or theatre.
d) We usually say the radio, but television (without the):
Compare:
I listen to the radio a lot.
(But)
I watch television a lot.
We heard the news on the radio.
(But)
We watched the news on television.
N.B: The television means the television set:
Can you turn off the television, please?
e) The + adjective
We use the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people, especially.
The young The rich The sick The blind The injured
The old The poor The disabled The deaf The dead
The elderly The homeless The unemployed
f) The + nationality
You can use the + nationality adjectives that end in ââchâ or ââshâ
(the French / the English / the Spanish etc.) the meaning is âthe people of that countryâ:
The French are famous for their food. (= the people of French )
The French / the English etc. are plural in meaning. We do not say
Note:
âa French / an Englishâ:
You have to say a Frenchman / an Englishman etc
g) We use âtheâ with plural names of people and places:
the Taylors (the Taylor family), the Johnsons
h) Building with âtheâ:
English Two
Unit 1 Page # 17
Hotels /restaurants
the Sheraton Hotel, the Holiday Inn
Theatres/ cinemas
the Palace Theatre, the Odeon (cinema)
Museums/galleries
the Guggenheim Museum, the Hayward Gallery
Other building
the Empire State (Building), the white house, the Eiffel Tower
Note:
We often leave out noun:
The Sheraton (Hotel) the Palace (Theatre) the Guggenheim (museum)
Some names are only âthe + nounâ, for example:
The Acropolis, the Kremlin, the Pentagon
i) Name with âofâ usually have âtheâ:
For example:
The Bank of England The Museum of Modern Art
The Great Wall of China The Tower of London.
Note:
We say:
The University of Cambridge but Cambridge University (without the)
j) Many organization have names with âtheâ:
the European Union, the BBC (= British Broadcasting Corporation), the Red Cross
Exercise
Fill in the gaps with the definate articles:
1. We went on a walk in ___ forest yesterday.
2. Where is ___ bathroom?
3. My father enjoyed ___ book you gave him.
4. ___ writer who wrote this book is famous.
5. ___ sun rose at 5:17 this morning.
6. ___ President will be speaking on TV tonight.
7. You are ___ tallest person in our class.
8. ___ French enjoy cheese.
9. This is a painting from ___ 1820's.
10. They are travelling in ___ Arctic.
Answer Key
1. the
2. the
3. the
4. The
5. The
6. The
7. the
8. The
9. the
10. the
âTheâ is a definite article. It refers to something and somebody particularly.
Usage
i) Referring Back:
âTheâ is used before a definite noun. When a noun is mentioned again, that is, when it
refers back to a noun mentioned already, it takes âtheâ.
Example:
This is an old palace. People believe that the palace was built 500 years ago.
ii) Representing Class:
âTheâ, like a/an, is used before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time
when it represents a class, that is, when âtheâ means âall/everyâ.
For example:
The camel is the ship of the desert.
The lion is a wild animal.
Note:
Man/mankind meaning âall men/womenâ does not take a/an/the:
For example:
Man is mortal. (not a/the man)
Mankind is searching for meaning.
iii) âtheâ is used before adjectives or participles to represent a class of people:
the rich, the poor, the dead, the dying, the injured/wounded
For example:
The rich are no necessarily happy
The blind deserve our sympathy.
iv) âtheâ is used before an adjective to denote a quality:
For example:
the white/yellow of an egg
the evil, the good, the beautiful
v) âTheâ used before a noun considered unique or extraordinary, that is, a noun
treated as equivalent to a superlative adjective. In this construction âtheâ means
âthe best, the only, or preciselyâ, so it has a heightening effect on the noun it modifies:
For example:
She is the bride for him.
This is the place for our picnic.
He is the authority on the subject.
vi) âTheâ is used before a noun whose identity is common knowledge or can be easily
inferred. In this construction âtheâ denotes a personâs title, rank, or profession
etc:
For example:
The President The Prime Minister
The Principal the King/Queen
The Prophet the bench/bar
The Postman the press/media
vii) âTheâ is used before a singular common noun (place/person) that can be easily
inferred from the situation:
For example:
the police station, the post office, the station, the radio
1. Would you close the gate, please?
2. She is listening to the radio.
3. He will be on the air tonight.
4. Turn on/off the tap, please.
Note:
a) radio always takes âtheâ:
She is listening to the radio.
Whatâs on the radio now?
b) âTheâ use of the before television is optional:
Whatâs on the television now?
Whatâs on television now?
But the is not used in the expression âwatch TVâ:
They are watching TV. (not, the TV)
viii) âTheâ is used before common nouns denoting musical instruments:
For example:
She is playing the violin/piano/sitar.
He is playing the drum/tabla.
He is accompanied on the violin by an Englishman. (not, She is playing harmonium.)
ix) âTheâ is used before a noun denoting a unit of measure to mean âeveryâ:
For example:
We buy petrol by the gallon/litre.
They are paid wages by the hour/week.
x) âTheâ is used before both countable and uncountable nouns (singular or plural)
that are made definite by:
a) preposition/preposition phrase
the boy with long hair
the woman in black
the milk in the bottle
the boys/girls/teachers of this school
b) a relative clause
the book/pen/milk/sugar/she bought yesterday
the water/tea/coffee he drinks every day
the birds/animals that live in a forest
xi) âTheâ is used before a noun placed by the side of a noun clause (that-clause).
For example:
1. The fact that Columbus discovered America is known to all.
xii) âTheâ is used before a singular countable noun to denote an attribute/a quality.
For example:
The monkey in man still survives.
The dancer in her is dead.
xiii) âTheâ is used before adjectives in the superlative degree:
the best book, the most beautiful, one of the wisest men, one of the most useful animals
Note: âtheâ is used in the construction like best/like most:
Which do you like best/most? (not, the best/the most)
N.B: âtheâ is not used before most/least when it is used in the sense of âveryâ.
For example: It is a most interesting story.
xiv) âTheâ is used before adjectives in the comparative degree (of the two):
For example:
She is the taller of the two girls.
He is the wiser of the two boys.
Note: the ... the
While expressing parallel increase/decrease âtheâ is used twice:
The older you grow the wiser you become.
The more you have the more you want.
xv) âTheâ is used before ordinal numbers and âonlyâ:
For example:
the first prize, the only hope, the only son, the second son
xvi) âTheâ is used before few/little + relative clause:
For example:
I have read the few books I have.
She has spent the little money she had.
xvii) âTheâ is used before the names of ranges of mountains and hills:
For example:
the Himalayas
the Alps
the Khasi hills
the Vindhyas
the Rocky Mountains
Note: âtheâ is not used before the following peaks or mountains:
Everest, Kailas, Kanchenjunga, Mont Blanc, Olympus, Snowdon, Mount Abu, Parasnath
Example:
The highest mountain in Alps is Mount Blanc.
We use mount (=mountain) and lake in the same way (without the):
Mount Everest (not the) Mount Etna, Lake Superior, Lake Constance
They live near the lake.
They live near Lake Constance. (not the Lake Constance)
xviii) âTheâ is used before names of groups of islands:
the Andamans
the West Indies
the Hebrides
the Maldives
the Bahamas
the Canaries
Note: âtheâ is not used before individual islands:
Crete, Malta, Bermuda, Ireland, Sicily, Sri Lanka
xix) âTheâ is used before names of gulfs, canals, seas, and oceans:
the Atlantic (ocean)
the Pacific (ocean)
the Indian (ocean)
the Mediterranean Sea
the Red Sea
the Persian Gulf
the Gulf of Mexico
the Panama Canal
the Suez Canal
xx) âTheâ is used before names of rivers/channels:
the Padma the Thames
the Brahmaputra the Avon
the Danube the Euphrates
the Ganga the Amazon
the Rhine the English Channel
the Tyne the Mississippi
the Nile the Bangla Channel
xxi) âTheâ is used before the name of these republics/kingdom/countries/states:
the Netherlands the Sudan
the Congo the Czech Republic
the UK the USA
the Philippines the GDR
the Netherlands
Compare:
Have you been to Canada or the United States?
xxii) âTheâ is used before the names of holy/great books:
the Quran the Bible
the Mahabharat the lliad
xxiii) âTheâ is used before names of newspaper:
the Daily Star the Daily Observer
the Times the Guardian
the Statesman the Economist
the Washington Post the Dawn
Note:
a) The is not used after noun +âs:
I havenât yet read todayâs Statesman. (not, the todayâs Statesman)
b) Names of magazines/periodicals are now usually used without âtheâ:
Punch, Outlook, Time Sunday, Today, Vogue
xxv) âTheâ is used before specifying any of the cardinal directions:
the east/west the north/south
xxv) âTheâ is used before names of inventions:
the telephone the microscope
the wheel the steam engine
Who invented the telephone? (not, telephone)
xxvi) âTheâ is used before a common noun considered unique:
the sun/moon the sky/earth
the world/universe the sea/air
xxvii) âTheâ is used before these nouns:
cathedral, cinema, pictures, theatre, office, station, museum, zoo
Example:
I am going to the pictures.
She is going to the cinema/theatre.
They are going to the zoo.
He is in the office now.
(not, She is going to station/museum.)
xxviii) âTheâ is used before the parts of oneâs body and articles of clothing:
The stone hit him on the shoulder.
The trouser you bought fits you well.
I held him by the tie/collar.
More Uses
a) the sky, the sea, the ground, the country, the environment:
We looked up at all the stars in the sky. (Not in sky)
Would you like to live country? (= not in a town)
We must do more to protect the environment. (=the natural world around us)
But we say space (without the) when we mean âspace in the universeâ .
Compare:
There are millions of stars in space. (not in the space)
I tried to park my car, but the space was too small.
b) We use âtheâ before âsameâ (the same):
Your pullover is the same colour as mine. (not âis same colourâ)
âAre these keys the same?â âNo, theyâre different.â
c) (go to) the cinema, the theatre:
I go to cinema a lot, but I havenât been to the theatre for ages.
When we say the cinema / the theatre, we do not necessarily mean a specific cinema or theatre.
d) We usually say the radio, but television (without the):
Compare:
I listen to the radio a lot.
(But)
I watch television a lot.
We heard the news on the radio.
(But)
We watched the news on television.
N.B: The television means the television set:
Can you turn off the television, please?
e) The + adjective
We use the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people, especially.
The young The rich The sick The blind The injured
The old The poor The disabled The deaf The dead
The elderly The homeless The unemployed
f) The + nationality
You can use the + nationality adjectives that end in ââchâ or ââshâ
(the French / the English / the Spanish etc.) the meaning is âthe people of that countryâ:
The French are famous for their food. (= the people of French )
The French / the English etc. are plural in meaning. We do not say
Note:
âa French / an Englishâ:
You have to say a Frenchman / an Englishman etc
g) We use âtheâ with plural names of people and places:
the Taylors (the Taylor family), the Johnsons
h) Building with âtheâ:
English Two
Unit 1 Page # 17
Hotels /restaurants
the Sheraton Hotel, the Holiday Inn
Theatres/ cinemas
the Palace Theatre, the Odeon (cinema)
Museums/galleries
the Guggenheim Museum, the Hayward Gallery
Other building
the Empire State (Building), the white house, the Eiffel Tower
Note:
We often leave out noun:
The Sheraton (Hotel) the Palace (Theatre) the Guggenheim (museum)
Some names are only âthe + nounâ, for example:
The Acropolis, the Kremlin, the Pentagon
i) Name with âofâ usually have âtheâ:
For example:
The Bank of England The Museum of Modern Art
The Great Wall of China The Tower of London.
Note:
We say:
The University of Cambridge but Cambridge University (without the)
j) Many organization have names with âtheâ:
the European Union, the BBC (= British Broadcasting Corporation), the Red Cross
Exercise
Fill in the gaps with the definate articles:
1. We went on a walk in ___ forest yesterday.
2. Where is ___ bathroom?
3. My father enjoyed ___ book you gave him.
4. ___ writer who wrote this book is famous.
5. ___ sun rose at 5:17 this morning.
6. ___ President will be speaking on TV tonight.
7. You are ___ tallest person in our class.
8. ___ French enjoy cheese.
9. This is a painting from ___ 1820's.
10. They are travelling in ___ Arctic.
Answer Key
1. the
2. the
3. the
4. The
5. The
6. The
7. the
8. The
9. the
10. the