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THE DEFINITE ARTICLE- Use and Omission.

Form: The is the only form in English. The corresponds to the five definite articles in Spanish
(el,la, lo,los, las).

Use: The use of the definite article in English often coincides with the use in Spanish. The
following explanations will only take into account the differences in usage.
In the first place we must remember that the expresses the maximum grade of determination within
the article, so much so that it is often a demonstrative similar to this, that, etc.:
At the moment I am very busy (= En aquest moment estic molt ocupat)
Consequently, we cannot use the with nouns used in a general sense.

We use the definite article in the following cases:


1. Before adjectives referring to a group of persons or things in general terms:
The French are fond of art
The young enjoy life
2. When we refer to unique things:
the sun, the moon, the North Pole
3. Before dates and ordinal numbers in the spoken language, but not in the written language:
May 15th. pronounced: May the fifteenth
Elizabeth II pronounced: Elizabeth the Second
4. Before nouns expressing measurement or quantity: This scooter does 100 miles to the gallon (=
to each gallon) They get paid by the hour
5. Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned a second time:
The government introduced a new tax system. It was rather hard for the rich to accept the system.
6. Before some geographical names, particularly those of rivers (the Nile), oceans (The Atlantic),
groups of islands (the West Indies), countries known by their initials (The USA, The USSR) but not
with the names of mountains (Everest, Mont Blanc). Mountain ranges, however, take the definite
article (the Himalayas, the Alps, the Pyrenees).
7. Before two comparative forms to say that both things vary
or change at the same rate or more or less together:
e.g. The older I get, the happier I am.
The more I study, the less I seem to know.

Omission: We do not use the definite article in the following cases:


1. With abstract nouns:
Life is boring
I love literature
2. With mass nouns:
Beer is good for you
Gold is expensive
3. With plural nouns used in a general sense and collective nouns:
Children are happy
Mankind owes much to science
N.B. However we do sometimes use the with a singular noun when we wish to talk about
something in general. This happens especially with the names of animals, plants and flowers.
e.g. The orchid is a beautiful flower.
4. With countries, towns, streets and squares:
Leicester Square is in London
5. With proper names, even if they are preceded by an adjective or a title:
Poor Mary looks bored.
President Johnson was Kennedy's immediate successor.
However, when the title only is mentioned, because the person's name is not necessary for
identification, we use the definite article:
The Queen is opening the new sports centre.
The Archbishop is at the Cathedral.)
6. With "home" when it is used alone i.e. is not preceded or followed by a descriptive word or
phrase:
I'm dying to go home.
They arrived home after midnight.
7. With "church, chapel, university, school, class, hospital, prison, market, college, court, work,
sea, bed", when these nouns are visited or used for their primary purpose:
The Newtons go to church every Sunday. (Function: to pray)
He went to prison for a year. (Function: to be imprisoned)
However, when these places are not visited for their primary purpose, the definite article is
used:
I went to the church to see the wedding.
I went to the prison to speak to the warden.
8. We also omit the definite article before the names of meals:
We always have dinner late.
I usually have lunch at two o'clock.
But the article is used when the meal is a definite one
or a special one given to celebrate something:
The dinner we had at "Casa Jaime's" on Friday was very good.
9. Before days of the week:
I'll see you on Sunday.
We have English on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Again, the definite article is used when the day becomes definite in context:
We are talking about the Saturday we went to the concert.
10. With "next" and "last" when they refer to the immediate future or past at the time of speaking:
I'll pay you back next payday.
He was twenty last month.
11. With the verb "to play" games:
I used to play tennis when I was young.
He plays chess brilliantly.
But when we play musical instruments, they require the definite article:
I spent the evening playing the piano.
12. With names of subjects studied at school, university, etc.:
She was always hopeless at Maths.
Exercise 1. Put the where necessary.
1. ........ tigers are very dangerous animals.
2. .......... monkey is a very playful animal.
3. ..... Queen is visiting ....... China in August and ......... United States in September.
4. Freud revealed that ....... dreams can be interpreted.
5. I think that ......... life is absurd.
6. ........... life that my grandmother lived was very hard.
7. I was never very good at ...... Maths at ....... school.
8. You had better ask ..... Professor Brain to help. I haven't ..... slightest idea of what you are
talking about.
9. ......... King Henry VIII had six wives.
10. An arrested person is interrogated by ........ police.
11. If ........ man continues to destroy ......... Nature, he deserves to suffer ....... consequences.
12. ........ football is ..... traditional English winter game.
13. ....... exploration of ......... space has aroused ........ curiosity all over ......... world.
14. It will be impossible for ............. poor to pay ...... new taxes.
15. I usually listen to ...... 8 o'clock news on ........ radio.
16. There's no place like ........ home.
17. What time do you have ........ supper?
18. What's the best remedy for .......'flu? - ...... bed.
19. She plays .......... piano very well and she always beats me at .......... golf.
20. I wish you wouldn't throw your clothes on .............. bed.
21. .......... honesty is ......... best of all ........ virtues.
22. ........... English are said to have only one topic of conversation: ............ weather.
23. .......... more you read, ....... more you learn.
24. Which is ......... longest river in ........ world.?
25. .......... cheques are not accepted. ..... cash only.
26. Pass ........ salt please.
27. .............. tobacco my brother smokes can only be found in ......... duty-free shops.
28. ............Earth goes round ......... Sun.
29. I've invited ........ Smiths round for ....... tea this afternoon.
30. I don't like ....... French very much, but I love.......... French cooking.
31. ........... war is often followed by ..... long periods of....... peace.
32. My father fought in ....... war. So did ......... mine.
33. ............ time flies.
34. We had .......... dinner at .......... new restaurant ..... last night.
35. ......poor Mrs Smith! Her husband's been taken to ........ prison and she isn't allowed to go
to ........ prison to visit him.
36. I love ......... music.
37. I love .......... classical music.
38. I love ....... music of .......... eighteenth century.
39. I enjoyed .........music we heard on ........radio ........ last night.
40. In .............. beginning was ........... Word.

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