6. the
(the definite article)
A. Form
The is the same for singular and plural and for all genders.
Example:
|
The boy
|
The girl
|
The day
|
|
The boys
|
The girls
|
The days
|
B. Use
The definite article is used. Example:
1.
When the object or group of
objects is unique or considered to be unique.
Example:
The earth, the sea, the sky,
the equator, the stars
2.
Before a noun which has become
definite as a result of being mentioned a second time. Example:
His car struck a tree, you can
stilll see the mark on the tree.
3.
Before a noun which has become
definite by the addition of a phrase or clause.
Example
The girl in blue , the boy
that i met, the man with the banner, the place where i met him.
4.
Before a noun which by reason of
locality can represent only one particular thing.
Example:
Ann is in the garden. (the
garden of this house)
Please pass the wine. (the
wine on the table)
5.
Before superlatives and first,
second etc. Used as adhectives or pronouns, and only. Example:
The first (week), the best day, the only way
C. the
+ singular noun can represent a class of animals or things.
Example:
The whale is in danger of becaming extinct.
The deep-freeze has made life easier for housewifes.
But man, used to represent the human race ,
has no article.
Example:
If oil supplies run out, man may have to fall back on the horse.
the can be used before a member of a certain group of people.
Example:
The small shopkeeper is finding lige increasingly difficult.
The + singular noun as used above takes a singular verb. The pronoun is he, she or it.
Example:
The first-class traveller pays more so he expects some confort.
D. the
+ adjective represent a class of person.
Example:
The old = old people in general (See 23)
E. the
is used before certain proper names of seas, rivers, groups of islands, chains
of mountains, plural names of countries, desert, regions.
Example:
the Atlantic, the Thames, the Axores, the Alps, the Netherlands, the Sahara, the Crimera, the
Rivera
and before certain other names.
Example:
the City, the Hague, the Mall, the Strand, the Sudan, the Yemen
the is also used before names consisting of noun + of + noun.
Example:
the Bay if Biscay the Cape of Good hope
the Gulf of Mexico the
United States of America
the is used before name consisting of adjective + noun (provided the
adjective is not east, west etc.) Example:
the Arabian Gulf the
New Forest the High Street
the is used before adjective east/west etc. + noun in certain names.
Example:
the East/West End the
East/West Indies the North/South Pole
but is normally omitted.
Example:
South Africa North America West Germany
The , however, is used before east/west etc. When these are nouns:
the north of Spain the Middle
East
the West (geographical) the
West (political)
Compare Go north (adverb=in a northerly
direction) with He lives in the north (noun= an area in the north)
F. The
is used before orther proper names consisting of adjective + noun or noun + of + noun. Example:
The National Gallery the
Tower of London
It is also used before names of choirs,
orchestras, pop group etc.
Example:
the Bach Choir the
Philadelphia Orchestra the
Beatles
and before names of newspapers (The Times) and
Ships (The Great Britain).
G. The
with names of people has a very limited used. The+plural surename can be used
to mean ‘the ... family’.
Example:
The smiths = Mr. And Mrs Smith (and
Children)
The + singular name + clause/phrase can be used to distinguish one person
from another of the same name. Example:
We
have two Mr. Smith. Which do you want? I want the Mr. Smith who signed this
letter.
The is used before titles containing of
(the Duke of York) but it is not used before other titles or ranks (lord
Olivier, Captain Hook), though if someone is referred to by title/rank alone the is used. Example:
The earl expected... the
captain ordered....
Letters written to two or more unmarried
sisters jointly may be addressed the Misses + Surename. Example: the Misses
Smith.
7.
Omission of the
A. the definite article is not used.
1. before names of places exceptt as shown
above, or before names of people.
2. before abstract nouns except when they are used in particular sense
Man
fear dearch but the death of the prime minister left his paty without leader.
3. after a noun in the posessive case, or a
possessive adjective
The
boy’s uncle = the uncle of the boy
It
is my (blue) book = the (blue) book is mine
4. before names of meals (but see 3c)
The
scots have porridge for breakfast but
The
wedding breakfast was held in her father’s house
5.
before names of games
He
plays golf.
6.
Before parts of the body and articles of clothing, as these normally
prefer a possesive adjective.
Raise
your right hand he took off his coat
But
notice that sentences of the type.
She
sized the child’s collar
I
patted his shoulder
The
brick hit john’s face
Similarly in the passive
He
was hit on the head he was cut in the hand
B. Note that in some european language the
definite article is used before indefinite plural nouns but that in english The
is never used in this way
Women
are expected to like babies (i.e. women in general)
Big
hotels all over the world are very much the same.
If we put the before woman in the first
example, it would mean that we were referring to a particular group of women.
C. Nature, where it means the spirit creating
and motivating the world of plants and animals etc. Is used without the.
If
you interfere with nature you will suffer for it.
8. omission of the before home, church, hospital, prison, school
etc. And before work, sea, and town
A. home
When home is used alone, i.e is not preceded
or followed by a descriptive word or phrase, the is omitted.
Example:
He is at home
Home used alone can be placed directly after a
verb of motion. I.e. it can be treated as an adverb.
He went home I arrived home
after dark
But when home is preceded or followed by a
descriptive word or phrase it is trated like any other noun:
They went to their new home
We arrived at he bride’s home
For some years this was the home of your queen
A mud hut was the only home he had ever known
B. bed, church, court, hospital, prison,
school/collage/university
The is not used before the nouns listed above
when these places are visited or used for their primary purpose. We go :
To bed to sleep or as invalids
To church to pray
To court as litigants etc.
To hospital as patients
To prison as prisoners
To school/collage/university to study
Similarily we can be:
In bed, sleeping or resting
Iin hospital as patients
At school etc. As students
At church as worshippers
In court as witnesses etc.
We can be/get back (or be/get home) from
school/collage/univeristy
We can leave school, leave hospital, be released from prison
When these places are visited or used for other reasons the is
necessary.
I went to the church to see the stained glass
He goes to the prison sometimes to give lectures
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