Definite Article “The"

the

1. 

• the earth 
• the sea 
• the sky 
• the equator 
• the stars

2.

She has got two children a boy and a girl. The boy's 7, the girl's 5.

3.

The girl in blue is my bride.

4.

Please, pass the wine. (there is only one bottle of wine on the table).

5.

I am going to do nothing for the first week of vacation. 

 It is the best day I have ever had in the village.

The only way to win is train a lot.

6.

The tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.

7.

• the old, 
• the blind, 
• the wounded, 
• the rich, 
• the unemployed, 
• the abandoned, 
• the poor, 
• the unknown, 
• the inevitable, 
• the good, 
• the evil, etc

The poor are rich when they are satisfied.

The unknown scares. 

The inevitable is to be accepted.

8.

the + proper names of 

• seas, 
• rivers, 
• oceans, 
• bays, 
• gulfs, 
• straits, 
• channels, 
• canals, 
• waterfalls, 
• deserts, 
• groups of islands, 
• chains of mountains, 
• plural names of countries, 
• regions, 
• state groups.

9.

the + proper names of lakes if there is no word lake before the name 

the Great Salt Lake

the Great Lakes (5 lakes) but lake Ontario

10.

the + names consisting of noun + of + noun

the butterflies of America the music of the 19 ^th century

11.

the + east/west etc + certain nouns

the East/West End the East/West Indies the North/South Pole

the + east/west/south/north

the north of Spam the West (geographical)

the Middle East the West (political)

in the South in the North

12.

the + names of choirs, orchestras, pop groups etc

the Bach Choir the Philadelphia Orchestra the Beatles

13.

the + names of newspapers (The Times)

14.

the+ names of ships (the Great Britain, the Titanic)

15.

the + plural surname

the Smiths = Mr and Mrs Smith (and children)

16.

the + titles containing of (the Duke of York) but it is not used before other titles or ranks (Lord Olivier, Captain Cook), though if someone is referred to by title/rank alone the is used

The earl expected The captain ordered

17.

Letters written to two or more unmarried sisters jointly may be addressed The Misses + surname The Misses Smith.

18.

the noun `s (genitive noun) not a proper name: the boss `s wife

19.

the + historical references / events

the French Resolution the Second World War but World War II

20.

the + names of languages followed by the word language

the Chinese language

21.

the + names of nationalities ending in -sh -ch -ese -se or ss

the Welsh, the Dutch, the Chinese the Spanish the Burmese the Japanese the Swiss

(though it is just possible for these to have a singular meaning) .

22.

the + names of enclosed spaces/roofed buildings most hotels most cinemas most theaters most museums most galleries most ships most institutions cafes if they do not contain a human’s proper name

the Grand Hotel

no the

1.

before proper names of single places and people

Buckingham Palace, Elisabeth, France, Europe

2.

before abstract nouns Men fear death

but in a particular sense

The death of the Prime Minister left his party without a leader

3.

after a noun in the possessive case, or a possessive adjective

the boy’s x aunt = the aunt of the boy

It is her (blue) book = The (blue) book is hers.

4.

before names of meals

The Scots have porridge for breakfast but in a particular sense 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 if there is a possessive adjective before them

Raise your left hand He took off his coat

But She seized the child's collar He was hit on the head He was cut in the hand

7.

before indefinite plural nouns

Women are expected to like babies.

Big hotels all over the world are very much the same

8.

before home, church, hospital, prison, school, work, sea, town and nature (if it means the spirit creating and motivating the world of plants and animals )

Do not interfere with nature or… Let us go home.

He went home I arrived home after dark I sent him home But when home is preceded or followed by a descriptive word:

They went to their new home.

We arrived at the bride's home.

For some years this was the home of your queen.

A mud hut was the only home he had ever known.

9.

before man, used to represent the human race

If oil supplies run out, man may have to fall back on the horse.

10.

South Africa North America West Germany

11.

Go north (adverb in a northerly direction) but He lives in the north (noun an area in the north)

12.

names of holidays Easter