8. The use of definite article with common nouns. The Use of the Definite Article

The Use of the

Examples

The definite article is used with common nouns:

1) when the noun is mentioned for the second time or is already known

There was a door opposite me.

I went in and locked the door.

2) when we are talking about something specific

The milk in the glass has turned sour.

The light is on in the kitchen.

- Have you seen her new flat?

- Yes, I have. The flat is large and comfortable.

3) when the listener or reader can already identify what we are referring to, therefore the shows that the noun has been specified by the context/situation

This is the house where I live.

He is the student you wanted to speak to.

Paris is the capital of France.

4) before noun in singular that denotes a certain class as distinct from other classes

The rose is my favourite flower.

The telephone was invented in the 19^th century.

The dog is a friend of man.

5) before the noun used with the adjective in the superlative form or ordinal numeral

Our planet is the most beautiful planet in the space.

The first spaceman was Yuri Gagarin.

6) with the nouns that are unique (the sun, the sky, the moon, the world, the universe)

I like to look up at the stars in the sky.

The earth goes round the sun.

When we went out, the moon was shining.

7) with nouns that are used after the words most of, one of, some of, many of, each of, none of

Most of the stories are very interesting.

Each of the boys took part in the competition.

None of the children wanted to leave the party.

8) before the nouns with attributes that are expressed by the words same, wrong, right, following, next, last

NB! next week (month, summer, year, Sunday), last week (year, Sunday)

They belong to the same family.

You are the very person I need.

The right man in the right place.

9) with nouns that are used as adverbial modifiers

It was very dark in the forest.

They came into the restaurant and sat down at the table near the window.

10) before the noun used as apposition that underlines the meaning of the personality it refers to

Jack London, the famous American writer, travelled much.

11) we use the + adjectives to refer the a group of people usually with the adjectives poor, rich, sick, injured, old, young, blind, unemployed

The old don’t always understand the young.

Why doesn’t the government do more to help the unemployed?

12) before the noun people in the meaning "народ”

The Ukrainian people are very tolerant..

13) before the noun that denotes the nationality (the English, the Irish, the Chinese)

NB! I am English. He is French..

The French are famous for their food.

The Ukrainians are very tolerant.

The Japanese are famous for their scientific inventions.

14) in the expressions in the afternoon, in the evening, in the morning, on the left, on the right, the other day

I come home in the evening.

15) in the expressions like the more … the better; the more … the more

The more we learn, the more we know.

16) before the nouns doctor, dentist, garage and others in the meaning “свій”

He’s gone to see the doctor.

The garage is near the house.

17) before nouns denoting ranks, titles, if they are used without proper names

The Prime Minister will speak on TV.

The President proposed to reduce taxes.

18) before the names of musical instruments (the piano, the guitar)

Do you play the piano?

Have you bought the guitar?

19) before the names of political parties (the Democrats, the Conservatives)

The Democrats nominated their candidates to the Parliament.

The Conservatives lost the last elections.

20) with public bodies (the police, the army)

The police should pay more attention to the people who break the rules while crossing the street.