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Definite Article The
Definite Article The
The word "the" is one of the most common words in English. It is our only definite article.
Nouns in English are preceded by the definite article when the speaker believes that the
listener already knows what he is referring to. The speaker may believe this for many different
reasons, some of which are listed below.
GENERAL RULES
EXAMPLES
On Monday, an unarmed man stole $1,000 from the bank. The thief hasn't been caught yet.
I was walking past Benny's Bakery when I decided to go into the bakery to get some bread.
There's a position available in my team. The job will involve some international travel.
Use the when you assume there is just one of something in that place, even if it has not been
mentioned before.
EXAMPLES
Turn left and go to number 45. Our house is across from the Italian restaurant.
Use the in sentences or clauses where you define or identify a particular person or object.
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PROPER NOUNS
Use the with names of geographical areas, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands, canals,
and oceans.
EXAMPLES
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Use the with countries that include the words "republic", "kingdom", or "states" in their
names.
EXAMPLES
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Use the with the names of famous buildings, works of art, museums, or monuments.
EXAMPLES
Use the with the names of hotels & restaurants, unless these are named after a person.
EXAMPLES
Use the with the names of families, but not with the names of individuals.
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War is destructive.
Do not use the with the names of individual mountains, lakes and islands
EXAMPLES
Do not use the with most names of towns, streets, stations and airports
EXAMPLES
ZERO ARTICLE
In English grammar, zero article is an occasion in speech or writing where a noun or noun
phrase is not preceded by an article (a, an, or the). Also called zero determiners.
In general, zero article is used with proper nouns, mass nouns where the reference is
indefinite, and plural count nouns where the reference is indefinite. Also, zero article is
generally used with means of transport ("by plane") and common expressions of time and
place ("at midnight," "in jail").
In addition, Platt, Weber, and Lian found that in New Englishes zero article is often used to
express non-specificity (The New Englishes, 1984).
Linguist Leszek Berezowski describes the zero article as "the oddball of the English article
system." He concludes that it is a "linguistic myth that can now be safely retired and need no
longer clutter grammatical descriptions" (The Myth of the Zero Article, 2009). Others have
challenged this view.
Block Language
Grammaticalization
David Rockefeller was authorized to hold the position of director of the Council on Foreign
Relations.
Zero article . . . is also used with school, college, class, prison and camp when these are used in
their 'institutional' sense. . . . [C]ertain nouns that are never used with zero article in American
English do occur with zero article in British English when used in their institutional sense:
hospital, university, and government."
When I was in the hospital, I often wished there were fewer hours in the day.[American
English]
When Elizabeth was in hospital, she was occasionally visited by her parents.[British English]
Zero Articles With Plural Count Nouns and With Mass Nouns
"The loosest and therefore most frequent type of generic statement is that expressed by the
zero article with plural count nouns or with mass nouns:Zero article with plural count nouns
may have generic or indefinite reference according to the predication: A mass noun with zero
article can be considered generic even if it is modified: Colombian coffee is said to be the
best."