English 505 Tec. Exp. Ing.

“THE” DEFINITE ARTICLE

RULES AND EXERCISES

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 meters 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 peak were 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)

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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

• organizations:

the United Nations; the Seamen’s Union

• hotels, pubs and restaurants*:2

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

EXERCISES

1. Decide whether to use the definite article >the< or not. If you do not need the article >the<, use x.

1) My grandmother likes _______________ flowers very much.

2) I love __________ flowers in your garden.

3) See you on __________ Wednesday.

4) I always listen to __________ radio in the morning.

5) Alex goes to work by __________ bus.

6) Don't be late for __________ school.

7) Listen! Dennis is playing __________ trumpet.

8) We often see our cousins over __________ Easter.

9) She has never been to __________ Alps before.

10) What about going to Australia in __________ February?

2.Decided whether to use the definite article >the< or not. If you do not need the article “the”, type an x.

Hi John,

I arrived in __________ USA last Monday. We left __________ Rome, flew over __________ Alps and made

a quick stop in __________ London. There we went shopping in __________ Harrods, visited __________

Tower and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in __________ Hyde Park. On the following day we left for __________

New York. __________ time on board wasn't boring as there were two films to watch on __________ monitor.

people on __________ plane were all __________ Italian. Before we landed at __________ JFK airport, we

saw __________ Statue of Liberty, __________ Ellis Island and __________ Empire State Building.

__________ hotel I stayed in was on __________ corner of __________ 42nd Street and __________ 5th

Avenue. I don't like __________ hotels very much, but I didn't have __________ time to rent an apartment.

Please say hello to Peter and Mandy.

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3. Choose the correct option

Q1 - I like listening to ____.

radio the radio Either could be used here.

Q2 - She's reading Italian at ____.

University the university

Q3 - I'll take you to _____.

airport the airport Either could be used here.

Q4 - He was sent to ____ for theft.

prison the prison

Q5 - She lives in _____.

north the North Either could be used here.

Q6 - I like ____ food.

Indian the Indian Either could be used here.

Q7 - I spoke to ______.

manager the manager Either could be used here.

Q8 - Do you like _____ cheese?

Stilton the Stilton

Q9 - We went for a walk in _____.

park the park Either could be used here.

Q10 - She was born in ____.

France the France Either could be used here.

Q11 - Do you often go to _____?

church the church

Q12 - It's ____.

Amazon the Amazon

Q13 - I'm going to ____.

Bed the bed

Q14 - She's gone to ____.

office the office

Q15 - I don't go to ____ very often.

Theatre the theatre

Q16 - I'm seeing ____ tomorrow.

Dentist the dentist

Q17 - What did you have for ____?

Dinner the dinner

Q18 - I'm going to _____ to get some cash.

Bank the bank

Q19 - He's in ____.

Trouble the trouble

Q20 - It's the first road on ____.

Right the right

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Complete the conversation using “the” where necessary.

Text No 1

“Do you go to (1) __________ church?”

“No, not very often. At (2) __________ Christmas and (3) __________ Easter usually. We go to (4) __________ church in Clifton Street.”

“Where do your children go to (5) __________ school?”

“Both our children go to (6) __________ local school, just down (7) __________ road.”

“And after (8) __________ school? Will they go to (9) __________college or to (10) __________ university?”

“I doubt it. (11) __________ older one, Emma, wants to be a nurse. You see she’s got a friend who works in (12) __________ hospital in (13) __________ center of town. Her brother will probably go to (14) __________ prison! He attacked a man and they had to take him to (15) __________ hospital.”

“And is your son still at (16) __________ school?”

“No, not really. In fact he spends most of (17) __________ time in (18) __________ bed. I just want him to leave (19) __________ home and go out to (20) __________ work!”

Text No 2

I hate (1) __________ November! It doesn’t get light till (2) __________8 o’clock in (3) __________ morning. Then it’s dark again as early as (4) __________ 4 o’clock in (5) __________ afternoon. After (6) __________ Christmas, (7) __________ days start to get a bit longer, but (8) __________ weather starts to get colder. On (9) __________ Friday (10) __________ last week, (11) __________ temperature was minus 10o. (12) __________ next week (13) __________ weather forecast is (14) __________ same.

Text No 3

“Hi! This is Nick. We met at (1) __________ party at (2) __________ Sarah’s house on (3) __________ Saturday. Remember?”

“Oh, yes. I remember.”

“Are you free this evening? There’s a good band playing at (4) __________ Red Lion.”

“Sounds interesting. Yes, OK. But I can’t get there before (5) __________ 9 o’clock at (6) __________ earliest. I haven’t had (7) __________ dinner yet.”

“That’s OK. I can pick you up and we can go by (8) __________ car. Where do you live exactly?”

“In (9) __________ Granby Road. Do you know it?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Take (10) __________ first turning on (11) __________ right after (12) __________ bridge over (13) __________ River Avon.”

“Is that opposite (14) __________ Odeon Cinema?”

“That’s right. Then take (15) __________ second turning on (16) ___________ left after (17) __________ St-Luke’s Church, that’s Granby Road.”

“OK. I’ll see you later.”

Text No 4

1. __________ Pacific Ocean is deeper than __________ Atlantic Ocean.

2. __________ teenagers really like to surf on __________ Internet.

3. __________ hottest continent in __________ world is __________ Africa.

4. __________ Chinese is harder to learn than __________ French.

5. Did you eat __________ apples that I left on the table?

Text No 5

1. __________ River Nile is __________ longest river in __________ world.

2. __________ Volga is __________ longest river in __________ Europe.

3. __________ Mount Kilimanjaro is __________ Highest mountain in __________ Africa.

4. __________ Downing Street is __________ residence of __________ Britain’s Prime Minister.

5. __________ White House is where __________ President of __________ USA lives.

6. __________ rich and __________ famous stay at __________ Ritz Hotel in __________ London.

7. __________Trafalgar Square is __________ most famous square in __________ London.

8. __________ English, __________ French and __________ Spanish colonised __________ West Indies.