Using Articles (#3), more English
Using English Articles (#3)
Because the English articles (a, an, the) are often verychallenging for learners of the language, the next severalHints will provide guidelines on their usage.
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The Definite Article The
The definite article the is used in several different waysin English.
One use is with nouns (singular or plural, countable oruncountable) that are specifically identified because thelistener or reader knows (or can assume) that only onespecific noun is being talked or written about:
Are my keys in the car?
(The speaker / writer assumes that thelistener / reader knows which car is beingreferred to.)
John can't hear you. He's in the shower.
(John can be in only one specific shower.)
Are the children asleep yet?
(The writer / speaker is referring tospecific children; the listener knowswhich children he / she means.)
Evita's son is in the first grade.
(Evita's son can be in only one specificfirst-grade class.)
He's not telling the truth.
(There is only one truth.)
Could you check the oil, please.?
(The speaker is asking someone to checkthe oil in one specific car--probably thehe or she is driving.)
I'll see you the day after tomorrow.
(Only one specific day is after tomorrow.)
Is someone at the door?
(We can assume that only one specificdoor is being referred to.)
Francisco is the tallest student in the class.
(Only one student can be the tallest.)
Is the coffee ready yet?
(A specific pot of coffee is being referred to,not any pot of coffee.)
The stars are very bright tonight.
(Specific stars--the stars that we can see--are being referred to.)
It's hard to believe that men have walked on the moon.
(In this sentence, the speaker / writer isreferring to one specific moon: the moonthat revolves around the earth.)
The banks are closed today.
(The speaker / writer assumes that thelistener / reader knows which banks arebeing referred to--probably all the banksin a specific city.)
Next: more on articles.
Nikolas53