7. Stressed the definite article ‘the’ meaning ‘best’

People sometimes stress the definite article to indicate that something is the best, most fashionable, or only thing of a particular kind. For example, someone might say 'It's the place to go' (with the pronounced /ðɪ/) when referring to a discotheque or club which is very good or fashionable.

Billiards is the game.

You are the man!

4. Using articles for generic reference

1. Singular countable nouns with the indefinite article

You can use a singular count noun with the indefinite article to refer to something as a representative of its class.

An actor must learn to live with criticism.

An adult porpoise is six feet long.

It is always fatal to ask an expert.

You cannot use this pattern when you want to talk about the location or existence of a type of animal, thing, or person; for example, you cannot say 'A ring-tailed lemur lives in Madagascar'; you would have to say 'Ring-tailed lemurs live in Madagascar' or "The ring-tailed lemur lives in Madagascar'.

This use is common in explanations of meanings and in some dictionary definitions.

In grammar, a noun is a word which is used to refer to a person, a thing, or an abstract idea.

A mountain is bigger and higher than a hill.

You can always use the plural without an article to express the same meaning: 'Mountains are bigger and higher than hills'.

NOTE 'Any' sometimes has a similar but more emphatic meaning.

The greatest threat to any actor is the presumption that knowledge can be automatically transposed into experience.

2. Singular countable nouns with the definite article

You can use the definite article with some singular countable nouns to make a generalization.

The primary responsibility lies with the employer.

Here you are using one employer as the typical example of the class. This way of referring to a type of person or thing is used mainly when writers or speakers are generalizing on a topic of professional relevance to them, usually in a formal context.

This pattern is common when talking about regular participants or roles in a situation. For example, someone talking or writing about education might want to refer in general to 'the teacher', 'the learner' or 'the classroom'. Here are some examples of topics.

TOPIC	ROLES
education	the teacher, the learner/pupil, the classroom
health care	the doctor, the nurse, the patient
industrial relations	the employer, the employee, the shop- steward
the communication process	the speaker, the listener, the writer, the reader

The third task of the teacher is criticism.

In very general terms then the role of the shop-steward can be broken down into three main parts.

This pattern is often used when talking about species of animals and birds.

The red squirrel is steadily dying out.

It is also commonly used when doctors or other people are generalizing professionally about parts of the body.

This may flatten that side of the head. It won't hurt the brain.

This chapter deals with the lower part of the leg.

Inventions and technological developments are often talked about in this way.

...as a previous generation was taught to speak into the telephone.

The computer has a flexibility of function which is unique.

You can also generalize about rooms in this way.

The kitchen can be a very suitable place to practise exercise.