| Use of «the»
| Examples
|
| 1. Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned:
| I saw a new film on TV yesterday.
The film wasn’t very interesting.
|
| 2. Before a noun made definite by the addition of a phase or clause:
| the girl in blue; the boy that I met; the place where I met him.
|
| 3. When the object or group of objects is unique:
| the earth, the sea, the sky, the moon, the sun, the world.
|
| 4. Before a noun which by reason of locality can represent only one particular thing:
| Ann is in the garden.
(the garden of this house).
Please open the window.
|
| 5. Before superlatives and first, second etc. used as adjectives or pronouns, and only:
| the first week; the best day; the only way.
|
| 6. Before a noun that represents a class of animals or things:
But man, used to represent the human race, has no article.
| The cow is a domestic animal.
The pine is an evergreen tree.
If oil supplies run out, man have to fall back on the horse.
|
| 7. The + adjective represents a class of people:
| the old = old people in general.
the rich = rich people in general.
|
| 8. Before certain proper names of oceans, rivers. Seas, gulfs, groups of islands, chains of mountains, plural names of countries, deserts, and before certain other names:
| The Atlantic, the Thames, the Alps, the Black Sea, the Crimea, the City, the United States of America, the Sahara, the Persian Gulf
|
| 9. Before the adjectives east/west etc. + noun in certain names:
| the East/West End, the East/West Indies, the North/South Pole.
|
| 10. Before other proper names consisting of adjective + noun or noun +of + noun:
| The National Gallery, the Tower of London.
|
| 11. Before names of newspapers, ships, orchestras, pop groups etc.
| the Times, the Great Britain, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Beatles.
|
| 12.the+ plural surname can be used to mean «the … family»:
| the Smiths = Mr and Mrs Smith (and children).
|
| 13. the + a singular countable noun (type of machine, invention, musical instruments).
| The bicycle is an excellent means of transport. When was the telephone invented? The piano is my favourite instrument.
|
