The Article

The Definite Article THE

The Indefinite Article A/AN
Zero Article

The Definite Article THE

The definite article the is the most frequent word in English.
Is used with countable and uncountable nouns:
-

Countable nouns : boy boys -> the boy

Uncountable nouns : sun no plural form -> the Sun

Before a consonant we pronounce the [ ] : the man

Before a vowel we pronounce the [ i ] : the union
o

When people know what they are talking about

Wheres the bathroom ? On the second floor.

o

Something which has already been mentioned

A boy and a girl fell in love. The boy and the girl got married two years later.
o
o

Things we consider unique : the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the sky
With adjectives like rich, poor, elderly, unemployed to talk
about groups of people: the blind, the deaf, the dumb

Life can be very hard for the poor.

o

Nationalities : the Japanese, the British

BUT !!!
- One person ( in particular ) : an Australian - People ( in
general ) : the Australians
o Before superlatives: the best, the most beautiful, the prettiest, the
taller and ordinal numbers : the first, the third
The former = primul/prima dintre 2 sau mai
multe personae
The latter = al doilea/a doua dintre 2 sau mai
o Collective nouns to refer to a system or service : the police, the
government, the army
o Musical instruments : to play the violin/ the guitar
She is learning the guitar.
o
-

Geographical features :
Rivers : the Danube, the Mississippi
Oceans : the Atlantic, the Pacific
Seas: the North Sea, the Mediterranean

Deserts : the Sahara, the Gobi

Canals: the Panama Canal
Mountain ranges : the Alps, the Himalayas
Groups of islands
Large areas of the world : the Middle East, the West
Plural country names : the United States of America

Contries whose name include words like kingdom, states or

republic : the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Nepal, the Unitated States
Countries which have plural nouns as their names : the Netherlands,
the Philippines
Newspapers, magazines
Well known buildings or works of art : the Taj Mahal, the British
Museum, the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, the Empire State Building
Organisations : the United Nations
Hotels, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries

o
o
o
o
o

BUT!!! We do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or
restaurant is the name of the owner : Browns, Browns Hotel
o
o
o
o

Families : the Obamas, the Jacksons

Ships
Nouns which name days, months, years and seasons : the year
2001, the spring of 1954, the month of May
The cardinal points as nouns

The train is going to the south.

o

Periods, events and historical documents : the Stone Age, the Civil
War, the French Revolution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of
Independence

BUT!!! World War I / II

o

Common expressions

THE is omitted before :

-

Proper nouns : Ill see Ann tomorrow.

Names of sports, games, activities, days, months, holidays,
colours, drinks, meals and languages ( not followed by the word
language ):

He plays football well.

He likes red.
We speak German. BUT!!! The ancient Greek language is hardly used
now.
-

Names of countries, cities, streets, squares, bridges, parks,

stations, individual mountains, islands, lakes, continents
Possessive adjectives : That isnt your pen.
Two-word names whose first word is the name of a person or place
: John F. Kennedy Airport

Pubs, restaurants, shops, banks and hotels which have the name
of their founder : Toms Bar
Bed, church, college, court, hospital, prison, school, university,
when we refer to the purpose for which they exist:

John went to hospital ( as a patient)

His mother went to the hospital to see him last week. ( as a visitor)
-

Work ( place of work ) never takes the : She is at work.

The words home, father/mother when we talk about our own
home/parents : Father is at home.
Means of transport : by bus, by car, by train, by plane

She travelled by bus. BUT!!! She caught the 5 oclock bus.

-

Illnesses: flu/ the flu; measles/the measles ( pojar ); mumps/ the mumps (
oreion)

BUT!!! He got malaria.

-

With uncountable and plural countable nouns when talking about

something in general:

Trees produce oxygen.

-

I.

With the words this/that/these/those : this bag, those cars

Insert THE where necessary :

1) Wheres nearest shopping centre ?

2) We must protect environment.
3) I often go to the cinema on Saturday.
4) Mary and Hugh want to get married at end of June.
5) She had lunch in a nice restaurant.
6) Jim and Henry talked to me at same time.
7) I signed at bottom of the page.
8) They usually spend their holiday at seaside.
9) They heard the news on the radio.
10) I and my sister like surfing the internet.
11) Janet and Fiona live on fifth floor.
12) Go ahead and you will see bank on left.
13) Andy plays violin very beautifully.
14) She called me in the middle of the night.
15) He received the most beautiful present.
II.

What do you call the people of these countries ?

One person (in particular )

People ( in general)
1) Australia
the Australians
2) Japan
3) Brazil
4) Argentina

an Australian

5) Poland
6) England
7) Sweden
8) Canada
9) Russia
10) Romania

III.

Fill the blanks using the words below and the definite article THE:
Back, moon, sky, government, sea, radio, police, army, young, rich

1) The moon moves around the Earth.

2) ___________ have the future in their hands.
3) I found the answer key at____________ of the book.
4) We went swimming in ____________.
5) I heard a good song on _______________ last night.
6) I think you should call __________________ .
7) ______________ announced new taxes.
8) He decided to join __________________.
9) _______________ usually go to very expensive clubs.
10) Can you see that bird up in ________________?

IV.

Decide where you must use THE :

1) The British Museum has many famous exhibits.

2) ___________ president is ____________ head of __________ government in
________ US.
3) ____________ Bucharest is ____________ south of ________________ Romania.
4) Do you read ___________ Guardian or _______________________ Independent?
5) He stayed at _____________ Ritz Hotel when he was in ________________
London.
6) I arrived at ____________________ Heathrow Airport two hours later.
7) ___________________ Odeon Theatre is in _____________ OConnell Street.
8) There are some beautiful castles along ____________________ Loire Valley.
9) _______________________ Taj Mahal is visited by thousands of tourists every
year.
10) Have you ever visited ______________ Tower of _____________ London ?
11) ______________ Statue of ______________ Liberty is at ________________
entrance of __________ New York.
12) You should visit _________________ Museum of _________________ Modern
Art.
13) We flew to ______________ Los Angeles from _______________ Gatwick
Airport.
14) Mark sent us some postcards with _____________ Great Wall of
______________ China.
15) _______________ Empire State Building is a 102-storey landmark in New
York.

V.
Circle the correct answer :
1) The red flower/ Red flower smell lovely.
2) The water/Water boils at 100 C.

3) My brother repairs the cars/cars.

4) The life/Life isnt always easy.
5) The vegetables/ Vegetables are good for you.
6) The food/ Food isnt expensive in my country.
7) The men/Men never ask for directions.
8) The rooms/ Rooms of my flat are very spacious.
9) His favourite sport is the basketball/basketball.
10) I cant sing this song because I forgot the words/ words.
11) The shops/Shops in my neighbourhood arent very crowded.
12) The money/Money doesnt bring happiness.
13) Where are the people/people in this department?
14) Can you pass me the bread/bread, please ?
15) I enjoy going to the parties/ parties.

VI.

Tick the correct sentences and correct the wrong ones:

1) Gabriel went to cinema yesterday. -> Gabriel went to the cinema

yesterday.
2) They took the injured cyclist to the hospital.
3) There are a lot of traffic jams in the morning when people go to the work.
4) Do many people go to the university in your country ?
5) Johns mother goes to church every Sunday.
6) My grandfather has never been to the hospital.
7) If you kill someone, you will go to the prison.
8) Mary isnt at the home.
9) Why arent her children at the school today ?
10) We will meet after the work tomorrow.
11) He is in the bed at this time of the day.
12) How do you get home from school ?
13) What time do you go to bed ?
14) Will you be at the home in the evening ?
15) He feels better, but hes still in hospital.