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Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.. The is called definite article; a/an is called indefinite article.. I/ Define article: “the” - With nouns we have mentioned previously.. - When m

What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.

English has two articles: the and a/an The is called definite article; a/an is called indefinite article.

I/ Define article: “the”

- With nouns we have mentioned previously.

Ex: There are only one elephant in the zoo The

elephant is quite big

- When mentioning something or someone and the

person you are talking to knows about this thing

or person

Ex: The message shocked me.(we knows about

this message)

- With nouns followed by a descriptive phrase, which makes

them definite.

Ex: The CD that she phayed was by my favourite band

- A unique thing exists

Ex: the Earth, the world, the sea, the sun, the moon

- With individual items which represent a class

Ex: + The dog is a faithful animal.

+ The smaller shopkeeper is finding business

increasingly difficult

Ex: the best time, the only way, the first time, the

second time…

of people.

Ex: + The one-eyed man is the King of the blind.

+ There will be a special school for the deaf and

mute here next year

- With idioms: BY THE.

Ex: + Beer is sold by the bottle.

+ Eggs are sold by the dozen

all family

Ex: + The Smiths always go fishing at weekends.

+ Do you know the Browns ?

purpose

-With “house”: I left the house at 9p.m

- With national groups

Ex: the Chinese, the Americans, the Dutch, the

- With a plural noun if you are talking about things or people

in general

Ex: It’s nice to have friends.

- With an uncountable noun if you are talking about something

in general.

Ex: He’s an expert on food and drink.

- After possessive adjectives or nouns in possessive case

Ex: + My friend (not my the friend)

+ The girl’s mother = the mother of the girl

- Meals

Ex: They invited some friends to dinner.

( BUT They invited their friends to the wedding dinner

- With titles: President Bush, King Louis XIV of France.

- Sports and games: volleyball, hockey, chess, golf…

- Academic subjects: chemistry, maths, economics…

specifying a particular one, in the phrase “at night”: 1993

(year), September, Monday, Tuesday…

Ex: He saw it on television ( BUT he heard it on the

radio)

- Do not use “the” after “by” to talk about the kind of

transport used for a journey.

Ex: I went by car/ bike/ bus/ train/ plane/ coach/ boat/

ship/ ferry/ taxi/ air/ tube/ sea

( BUT I went in the car/ my car or I went on the bus/

train/ boat/ ship/ ferry/ plane/ tube) -GO TO + (place)=> do not use “the” ifyouare talking ablout being someone who receives what is provided in the building -With “home”: at home, come home, go home

- Use “the” for musical instruments

Ex: I can play the piano.

- With names including NOUN + OF + NOUN

Ex: + The Gulf of Mexico

+ The United States of America

- Both, all, half, double + THE + Noun

Ex: All the men in this town are very lazy.

- With some geographical names In particular:

seas: the Nile, the Pacific, the Thames, the

Great Lakes…

Pole, the South Pole

East, the Arctic

Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the

Iberian Peninsula

(plural countries) : The United States, the

Philippines, the Netherlands, the People’s

Republic of China

Civil War

Halong Bay…

Fuij

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto

China…

California