The definite article. General characteristics. Use in communication.

The definite article the is the most frequent word in English.

We use the definite article in front of a noun when we believe the hearer/reader knows exactly what we are referring to.

• because there is only one:

The Pope is visiting Russia.
The moon is very bright tonight.
The Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979.

This is why we use the definite article with a superlative adjective:

He is the tallest boy in the class.
It is the oldest building in the town.

• because there is only one in that place or in those surroundings:

We live in a small village next to the church.	=	(the church in our village)
Dad, can I borrow the car?	=	(the car that belongs to our family)
When we stayed at my grandmother’s house we went to the beach every day.	=	(the beach near my grandmother’s house)
Look at the boy in the blue shirt over there.	=	(the boy I am pointing at)

• because we have already mentioned it:

A woman who fell 10 metres from High Peak was lifted to safety by a helicopter. The woman fell while climbing.
The rescue is the latest in a series of incidents on High Peak. In January last year two men walking on the peakwere killed in a fall. 

We also use the definite article:

• to say something about all the things referred to by a noun:

The wolf is not really a dangerous animal (= Wolves are not really dangerous animals)
The kangaroo is found only in Australia (= Kangaroos are found only in Australia)
The heart pumps blood around the body. (= Hearts pump blood around bodies)

We use the definite article in this way to talk about musical instruments:

Joe plays the piano really well.(= George can play any piano)
She is learning the guitar.(= She is learning to play any guitar)

• to refer to a system or service:

How long does it take on the train.
I heard it on the radio.
You should tell the police.

• With adjectives like rich, poor, elderly, unemployed to talk about groups of people:

Life can be very hard for the poor.
I think the rich should pay more taxes.
She works for a group to help the disabled.

The definite article with names:

We do not normally use the definite article with names:

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Paris is the capital of France.
Iran is in Asia.

But we do use the definite article with:

• countries whose names include words like kingdom, states or republic:

the United Kingdom; the kingdom of Nepal; the United States; the People’s Republic of China.

• countries which have plural nouns as their names:

the Netherlands; the Philippines

• geographical features, such as mountain ranges, groups of islands, rivers, seas, oceans and canals:

the Himalayas; the Canaries; the Atlantic; the Atlantic Ocean; the Amazon; the Panama Canal.

• newspapers:

The Times; The Washington Post

• well known buildings or works of art:

the Empire State Building; the Taj Mahal; the Mona Lisa; the Sunflowers

• organisations:

the United Nations; the Seamen’s Union

• hotels, pubs and restaurants*:

the Ritz; the Ritz Hotel; the King’s Head; the Déjà Vu

*Note: We do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or restaurant is the name of the owner, e.g.,Brown’s; Brown’s Hotel; Morel’s; Morel’s Restaurant, etc.

• families:

the Obamas; the Jacksons

To decide if you should use the word the, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is the noun indefinite (unspecified) or definite (specific)?

   The general rule states that the first mention of a noun is indefinite and all subsequent references to this noun are definite and take the.

   A man is walking down a road. There is a dog with the man.

   The second mention may be a synonym:

   Combine butter, sugar and eggs. Add flour to the mixture.

   First (indefinite) mention requires a or an for a singular count noun, no article for a plural or non-count noun. Second mention makes the correct for both count and non-count nouns:

   A growing plant must have water and minerals. The plant must also have sunlight. The minerals must include nitrates andthe water must not be saline.

   Three special groups of nouns are considered definite in reference even if they have not been mentioned in the preceding sentence or clause.
   1. The first group consists of nouns which refer to shared knowledge of the situation or context. For example, in Canada you can say

      The Prime Minister will arrive tomorrow

      because there is only one Prime Minister in Canada, and so it is clear to whom you are referring. Similarly, if there is only one hospital in the town, you can say

      He's been working in the hospital for two years.

      But you couldn't say this in Toronto, where there are many hospitals. You would have to name the particular hospital in your first reference to it:

      He's been working at Toronto General Hospital for two years. He says the hospital is in a financial mess.

   2. The second group consists of nouns referring to unique objects:

      e.g., the sun/the earth/the Pope/the sky/the equator

   3. Superlative adjectives and unique adjectives form the third group. Because there can be only one of these (only one of a series can be the tallest or the best or the first), they take the definite article:

      Mexico City is the most populous city in the world.

      I enjoyed the first part, but I was disappointed at the end.

      She is the principal researcher.

2. Is the noun modified?

   1. Premodification: If the noun is preceded by one of the following--

      this/that/these/those/some/any/each/every/no/none/my/mine

      do not use the definite article.

      e.g., the red books/some red books/no red book/his red books/each red book

   2. Postmodification: if the noun is followed by a dependent clause (who/which/that) or a prepositional phrase (of/in/to...), it is made definite and takes the definite article. The man who lives next door is Chinese.

      We take the regular collection of garbage for granted.

      The journey to Vancouver take three days by train.

      No one expected the results that were found.

      EXCEPTION: collective nouns take the indefinite article:

      a box of matches/a deck of cards/a bar of soap/a herd of cows.

3. Is the noun generic?

   Generic reference is used when one refers to a whole group or class, to generalize about all possible members of a group. There are five patterns one can use:
   1. no article PLUS plural count noun:

      It's astonishing what gymnasts can do.

   2. no article PLUS noncount noun:

      Love can cause a lot of suffering.

   3. indefinite article PLUS singular count noun:

      It's astonishing what a gymnast can do.

      [This pattern cannot be used to discuss the location or existence of something/someone. You cannot say A lion lives in Africa. You must use pattern (a) or (d)].
   4. definite article PLUS singular count noun:

      It's astonishing what the gymnast can do.

   5. definite article PLUS plural nationality noun:

      The Chinese have an ancient culture.

Pattern (a) is most common in colloquial English; pattern (d) is frequently used in academic writing.

Special Uses of Articles

1. 
   

   Media and communications:

   Use a noun PLUS definite article to refer to systems of communication and the mass media, in contrast to the actual machine of communications. The telephone is the system of communication; a telephone is the actual physical machine.

   The newspapers are all in agreement on the latest financial disaster.

   [exception: television usually has no article: Did you see him onv television?]

2. Means of transportation:

   Use the definite article to refer to the whole transport system, rather than to an individual vehicle:

   How long does it take on the bus?

   The subway is quicker.

   [if you use the construction "by PLUS means of transport," there is no article: I go by subway].

3. Forms of entertainment:

   To refer to a form of entertainment in general, use the definite article:

   I enjoy seeing the ballet.

   To refer to a particular event, use the indefinite article:

   I saw a good movie last night.

4. Place/object of activity nouns:

   Certain nouns refer to either a place/object or to an activity. When they refer to an activity, do not use the definite article:

   activity	object
   I go to bed at 11 o'clock.	Don't jump on the bed.
   She went to school for many years.	The school was too small.
   Many families eat dinner together.	The dinner was delicious.
   I shower before breakfast.	The breakfast was delicious.
   They are at church.	The church is very old.
   She is in class.	The class is in Room 102.

5. Directions:

   Nouns indicating direction do not take the definite article:

   Go two blocks south and turn left.

   [exception: nouns indicating political divisions take the definite article: She is on the left of the party.]

Periods of time:

6. Names of decades, centuries and historic periods take the definite article, as they are a form of unique reference:

   The 1960s were a time of student rebellion.

• Follow this link to the Rensselaer Writing Centre for more on definite versus indefinite nouns.
• Follow this link to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab for more on count versus noncount nouns.
• Follow this link to HyperGrammar at the University of Ottawa for a review of the parts of speech.

Exercises:

Elementary:

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7
• Exercise 8
• Exercise 9
• Exercise 10

     Intermediate:

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7
• Exercise 8
• Exercise 9
• Exercise 10

Advanced: 

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7
• Exercise 8
• Exercise 9
• Exercise 10

Grammar Test Key

Grammar Test