Definite Article ‘The’

Articles have been categorized into two parts i.e. the Definite Article and Indefinite Articles.

Articles are always followed by a noun/noun phrase and use of ‘the’ makes a noun/noun phrase definite. ‘The’ is used to denote specific nouns. Therefore, article ‘the’ is called Definite Article.

Article ‘the’ is used with countable/uncountable nouns, vowels/consonant sounds and singular/plural nouns. We use it before a noun when we are sure that reader/listener knows with certainty about what we are trying to refer. It shows the particularity of the noun.

‘The’ is used with

Superlative degree of adjective

  • He is the most handsome boy of my class.
  • This is the dirtiest river in the town.
  • My sister is the brightest student at her College.

Parallel comparatives

  • The more I help them, the more they become dependent.
  • The more you eat, the more you get fat.
  • The more you laugh, the more you become happy.

Nouns which are repeated

  • Shirley gave me a laptop. The laptop has been quite useful.
  • They are at party. The party is organized by a political activist.
  • There is a robber at the house. The robber is dangerous.

Religious groups and their holy books

  • The Bible is a religious book of Christians.
  • The Muslims go to mosque.
  • The Buddhists believe in peace and non-violence.

Heavenly bodies i.e. planets, asteroids etc

  • The moon looks beautiful tonight.
  • The sun gives us heat and light.
  • The earth is home to all living beings.

Musical Instruments

  • My boyfriend Pam plays the flute.
  • Horace has bought the guitar.
  • Can I take the trumpet you use?

Name of newspaper

  • The New York Times has been voted as the most read newspaper.
  • The Mirror covers all types of news.
  • I am reading The Sun.

Name of inventions and discoveries

  • The windshield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson.
  • Wright brothers invented the first working airplane.
  • The first spray paint was invented by Edward H. Seymour in 1949.

Historical buildings or to denote parts of the house

  • The president of The Unites States of America lives in The White House.
  • The Taj Mahal is in India.
  • The bedroom has three windows.

Ordinal numbers

  • He is the first boy of our class.
  • The fifth person in the queue fainted.
  • The company has been able to grasp the top position.

Mountain ranges, group of islands, deserts, canals

  • The Himalayas is seen to be melting due to rapid temperature rise.
  • The West Indies separates the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.
  • The Sahara desert is the largest hot desert.

Names of rivers, seas and oceans

  • The Nile is the longest river.
  • The Red sea lies between Africa and Asia.
  • The Greta is a river which flows into The Irish Sea.

Name of directions and physical positions

  • I am driving towards the east.
  • Janet is sitting in the middle surrounded by her friends.
  • The sun sets in the west.

‘The + noun + relative clause’

  • The man who is waving is my father.
  • The person who calls him every day is his family doctor.
  • The dog that is barking is furious.

Daybreaks, period of history, decades and historical events

  • The Victorian period lasted twice as long as the Romantic period.
  • The nineties was famous for the rise if multiculturalism.
  • The United States of America celebrates the Independence on July 4.

Hotels, theaters, special meals, museums and libraries

  • I am going to the birthday party and then to the American library.
  • The Del Coronado is a hotel which is in California.
  • The Ambassadors is my favorite theater in London.

Nationalities, races, social groups, different job posts and positions, names of political parties

  • The Black, the white, the rich and the poor all should be treated equally.
  • The prime minister has declared national holiday.
  • The Republican and the Democrats have come to a mutual agreement.

Organs of human body

  • There always occurs a clash between the head and the heart.
  • I have an injury in the head.
  • The abdomen consists of all digestive organs.

Plural names of countries

  • The USA is the richest country in the world.
  • The UK had colonized many parts of the world.
  • Protesters are seen to be gathering in front of the Greece Parliament.

Noun

  • of/some of/both of/most of + the + nouns
  • noun + definite clause