GRAMMAR. Articles.
Sometimes students get confused and do not know how to use articles . They ask me to give them more examples that show the appropriate use of articles.
Here I go :
The
definite article, the,
can refer backwards in a conversation or text to something already
mentioned.
… my
sister there hid a little parcel in my suitcase, so when I was
unpacking
the
case I had a really cool surprise ...
It can also
refer forwards to something which is going to be mentioned or
explained.
Could
you bring me the
knife which
you gave me?The
friend of hers who's
looking after us
...
Does the
always refer backwards or forwards?
No, it can also
refer to shared knowledge or general knowledge. Both the listener and
the speaker (or the writer and the reader) know what is being
referred to.
But
I'll try to connect from the
hotel every evening.
I think Mum is hoping to see George Clooney
at the
bus stop.
OK, I
understand those rules, but I’ve seen lists of different uses of
the.
All right, I
can give more specific examples, but they fit into the three areas
I’ve given you. We use
the when
there is only one of something (in the world, the country, your town,
the house, etc.), and we know what it is.
And
is the
internet connection good?
They're like ... like the
poster you've got in your room, Daisy.
We use the
with superlatives – again, we are talking about one thing.
The
chocolate here is the
best in the
world.
With some
adjectives which refer to one thing – for example first,
last, next – we also use the.
… this
is the
third day ...
When referring
forwards, we often use a relative clause.
That’s
the
friend who is looking after us.
Isn’t the
used with musical instruments, like: “I
play the
guitar”?
Yes, we
sometimes use the
in fixed expressions for musical instruments, entertainment and
transport.
He
plays the
piano brilliantly.
They’re going to the
opera tonight. (Also - the
cinema, the
football, the
shops, etc.)
We took a taxi to
the
airport. (Also - the
bus stop, the
station, etc.)
So even if
there are three cinemas in my town, I would still say: “I
went to the
cinema last night”?
Yes, you would.
We also sometimes use the
to talk about groups of people or types of animals or things in
general.
The
unemployed
are asking for more help from the
government.
(also: the
poor,
the
old,
the
homeless,
the
deaf,
etc.)The
wolf is
the largest member of the dog family. (formal)The
Swiss watch
is an amazing piece of engineering.
And we can use
the
with nationalities, like “The
Swiss
make great chocolate”?
Yes, that’s
right. You're good at this!
What about
talking about things in general? Can I say “The
life is very expensive” or “I love the
sport.”?
No, we don’t
use the definite article to generalise about abstract things. You’d
say: “Life is very expensive” and “I love sport”. If we’re
generalising about things we usually use the plural form (for
countable nouns) or singular (uncountable nouns).
She’s
frightened of spiders. (= spiders in general)
Lasagne is
delicious! (= lasagne in general)
Thanks for dinner. The lasagne
was incredible! (= one particular lasagne)
But you used
“the wolf”
earlier to talk about wolves in general.
Yes, but that
was more formal language, for example what you would read in an
encyclopaedia. We usually use no article to generalise.
What about
geography words? Words for rivers and seas and things?
Ah,
you mean proper nouns or names of things. Here are some categories
where we use the,
with examples:Rivers:
the Thames
Mountain ranges: the Alps
Oceans and seas: the
Pacific / the Red Sea
Deserts: the Sahara
Islands (groups): the
Bahamas
Countries if + political term / plural: the UK / the USA /
the United Arab Emirates
Political institutions: the Government /
the Monarchy
Newspapers (usually part of the title): The Times /
The Guardian
Cinemas / theatres / hotels: the Odeon / the Holiday
Inn
So we don't use
the
before lakes, forests, cities or towns?
No, not
usually. And not usually before streets in towns.
Well, there’s
more to the
definite article than meets the
eye!
Mm, that
reminds me, more
than meets the eye
– there are a lot of idioms with the
too. For another time!
Hope this helps.
