I adopted the tone used by my uncle Henry.

He sent a telegram saying he needed some work done urgently.

He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her in such a state.

Countable nouns modified by infinitives

Attributes expressed with infinitives tend to be descriptive:

e.g. I made an attempt to smile/felt an impulse to laugh.

Yet, sometimes depending on the context, the infinitive may become a limiting attribute.

They didn’t have the money to buy the house.

Countable nouns modified by clauses

Clauses can be attributive and appositive. Attributive clauses qualify the noun. The can be either descriptive or limiting:

e.g. He took the cigarette that Robert offered him.

It’s not a story I could tell anyone else.

She expected a husband who would give her love and position.

She stared at me with an expression that made me uncomfortable.

Appositive clauses disclose the meaning of a noun. They can modify only certain abstract nouns, such as idea, feeling, hope, thought, impression, sense and the like. Appositive causes are usually introduced with the conjunction that (что). Appositive clauses are usually limiting attributes:

e.g. He had the feeling that all his efforts were futile.

The idea that he can be of use made him happy.

I had the impression that she meant it.

The Use of the Definite Article with Countable Nouns

There are certain uses of the definite article which are to be regarded as a matter of tradition: 1) used by reason of locality, with reference to objects that surround the speaker (or things described by him). This usually refers to objects either indoors (the corner, the window…) or outdoors (the stars, the street, the flowers, he houses, the birds…)

e.g. As I approached our house I saw my mum waving from the window.

A bee buzzed in the flowers.

The trees swayed to and fro under the grey sky.

2) with nouns denoting objects that are usually found in a particular place (the attendant in the cinema, the waiter, the receptionist, the kettle (at home) etc.)

The generic function of the definite article

A singular countable noun with a definite article may represent a whole class of objects, thus becoming a composite image of that class.

e.g. The violet is a lovely flower (Indef, art. also possible). The aeroplane has made the world a small place.

Now the horse has been replaced by the tractor (Indef. Art. impossible).

If you mean “any” use the indefinite article.

E.g. A book makes a good present. A passenger is allowed is allowed 10 kg. of hand luggage free of charge.

Note that a plural noun in a generic sense has no article. e.g. Violets are lovely flowers.

Note! When the noun man is used in the generic sense it has no article. The noun woman in a generic sense may be used with the definite or without any article.

The definite article is always found with collective nouns denoting social groups or classes: the peasantry, the aristocracy, the clergy, the intelligentsia, the public, the police.

The definite article is used with the generic plurals but it is found only when the idea of collectivity is emphasized, suggesting “the whole body of”: the Russians, the Italians, the Germans etc., the workers, the peasants, the aristocrats, the catholics, the liberals etc.

Note that there is no article when not the whole nation or class is meant but separate representatives.

The same generic use of the definite article is found with substantivized adjectives (the blind, the poor, the rich, the young, the old, the British, the English, the Japanese).

Note! Adjectives followed by ones may have generic force and then they are used with the definite article.

e.g. The little ones always know a good man from a bad one.

It isn’t the pretty ones that become good wives and mothers.