The definite article: 'the'

Level: beginner

The definite article the is the most frequent word in English.

We use the definite article in front of a noun when we believe the listener/reader knows exactly what we are referring to:

because there is only one:

The Pope is visiting Russia.
The moon is very bright tonight.
Who is the president of France?

This is why we use the definite article with a superlative adjective:

He is the tallest boy in the class.
It is the oldest building in the town.

because there is only one in that context:

We live in a small house next to the church. (= the church in our village)
Dad, can I borrow the car? (= the car that belongs to our family)
When we stayed at my grandmother’s house, we went to the beach every day. (= the beach near my grandmother’s house)
Look at the boy over there. (= the boy I am pointing at)

because we have already mentioned it:

A young man got a nasty shock when he tried to rob a jewellery shop in Richmond. The man used a heavy hammer to smash the windows in the shop.

We also use the definite article:

to say something about all the things referred to by a noun:

The wolf is not really a dangerous animal. (= Wolves are not really dangerous animals.)
The kangaroo is found only in Australia. (= Kangaroos are found only in Australia.)
The heart pumps blood around the body. (= Hearts pump blood around bodies.)

We use the definite article in this way to talk about musical instruments:

Joe plays the piano really well.
She is learning the guitar.

to refer to a system or service:

How long does it take on the train?
I heard it on the radio.
You should tell the police.

The definite article the 1: Matching_MTU3MDQ
The definite article the 2: GapFillDragAndDrop_MTU3MDU
The definite article the 3: GapFillTyping_MTU3MDY

Level: intermediate

We can also use the definite article with adjectives like rich, poor, elderly and unemployed to talk about groups of people:

Life can be very hard for the poor.
I think the rich should pay more taxes.
She works for a group to help the elderly.

Level: beginner

The definite article with names

We do not normally use the definite article with names:

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Paris is the capital of France.
Iran is in Asia.

But we do use the definite article with:

countries whose names include words like kingdom, states or republic:

the United Kingdom	the Kingdom of Bhutan
the United States	the People's Republic of China

countries which have plural nouns as their names:

the Netherlands

the Philippines

geographical features, such as mountain ranges, groups of islands, rivers, seas, oceans and canals:

the Himalayas

the Canaries

the Atlantic (Ocean)

the Amazon

the Panama Canal

newspapers:

The Times

The Washington Post

well-known buildings or works of art:

the Empire State Building

the Taj Mahal

the Mona Lisa

organisations:

the United Nations

the Seamen's Union

hotels, pubs and restaurants:

the Ritz

the Ritz Hotel

the King's Head

the Déjà Vu

But note that we do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or restaurant is the name of the owner:

Brown's

Brown's Hotel

Morel's

Morel's Restaurant

families:

the Obamas

the Jacksons

The definite article with names 1: Grouping_MTU3MDc=
The definite article with names 2: GapFillTyping_MTU3MDg=
The definite article with names 3: GapFillTyping_MTU3MDk=
The definite article with names 4: GapFillTyping_MTU3MTA=

Average

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Hello Lal,

You can say

I saw it on TV or I saw it on the TV

However, when we refer to the TV as a machine we need to use an article. This is generally the definite article because we are talking about a particular TV (our own or the one in the room).

I turned the TV off.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Sir, Iam confused with these statements, please clarify the exact difference and the usage 1. Definite article THE is used to say something about all the things referred to by a noun Eg: the wolf is not a dangerous animal 2. We use a/an with a singular noun to say something about all things of that kind Eg: A dog likes to eat meat My question is if I say A wolf is not a dangerous animal, it means all wolves are not dangerous animals.. Then, what is the difference between using A or THE before wolf when both are having same meaning Thanks in advance

Hello Hari4171,

We can use the indefinite article, the definite article and the zero article for general meaning, but there are some differences between them. I'll explain this first, and then addess your particular example.

a + singular countable noun

we can use this with general meaning when we are talking about something which defines the group. For example:

An elephant is an impressive sight.

In other words, being an impressive sight is one of the characteristics of an elephant; if we saw an animal and it was not impressive then we could be fairly sure that it was not an elephant. We are talking about any elephant here - it is true of them all.

the + singular noun

we can use this with general meaning when we are talking about our image or concept of the noun. For example:

The elephant can live for over sixty years.

Here we are not talking about a real elephant, but rather the concept of 'elephant' in our heads.

no article + plural countable noun or uncountable noun

we use this to talk about what is normal or typical of a type. It may or may not be true of all individuals but it is typical of most. For example:

Swedish people are tall.

Here we are talking about the average height of Swedes, not any particular person or concept.

The distinctions are subtle but sometimes can be important. For example, we can say with general meaning:

Whales are in danger of becoming extinct.

The whale is in danger of becoming extinct.

However, we cannot say:

A whale is in danger of becoming extinct.

This is because being in danger of becoming extinct may be true but it does not define the whale.

With regard to your example, I think certainly the wolf and wolves are possible forms. The indefinite article depends upon the point of view of the speaker. If you consider non-dangerous behaviour to be part of what it is to be a wolf then a wolf is also possible.

I hope that helps to clarify it for you. It is a complex area.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I have a quick question. when I speak about Buckingham Palace, do I use the definite article?

Hello adelina,

Buckingham Palace is a proper name and so there is no article used before it.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello. I have a question about the word "the" in certain circumstances. Below is an example. 1. I cringe when I see adults with grammar skills of a child. 2. I cringe when I see adults with the grammar skills of a child. Is the use of "the" in the 2nd sentence required or optional? Thanks.

Hello Sideout02,

The definite article is required. The noun is grammar skills and the phrase of a child defines which grammar skills, so a definite article is required.

If the defining phrase is omitted then we are talking about grammar skills in general and no article is needed:

It makes me happy to see young children with (good/advanced) grammar skills.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello sir, I want to know the difference in these sentences as they are denoting a class and one statement contains 'the' and other one not 1. Dogs are faithful. 2. The apples are red. Thank you

Hello Devesh Raj

Peter wrote a lengthy explanation of this in another comment -- please follow the link to see his explanation there.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi, how is " the " in the following sentence justified if the listener doesn't know anything about the celebration: I like the way they celebrate their festival.

Hi sam61

Presumably here there is one specific way they celebrate their festival (the second bullet point above), though I'd need to know the full context to be completely sure. I expect it's for the reason I've mentioned, though.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

He is a type of guy who... He is the type of guy who... Do they mean the same thing?

Hello sam61,

I don't think we would use the first example (with 'a'). The second example (with 'the') is the standard form, in my view.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

I would like to ask if the following sentences are correct: Anyone who does not use Social media nowadays is behind times and needs to catch up 1. Is it a polite way to say something like this? 2.is it Social media or the Social media?

Hello agie,

No article is needed before 'Social media' but the sentence does not need an article elsewhere:

Anyone who does not use Social media nowadays is behind the times and needs to catch up.

The sentence is not impolite in terms of the language but it is quite a strong opinion to hold and express. You could make it less direct by making it clear you are expressing an opinion:

I feel that anyone...

I think that anyone...

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi, A person to whom I almost gave money turned out to be a fraud. The person to whom I almost gave money turned out to be a fraud. Do they mean the same thing? Does the first sentence also mean that I almost gave money to multiple people and he/she is just one of them? Does the 2nd sentence mean that the reader/listener knows about that person?

Hello sam61

The speaker chooses 'a' or 'the' depending on whether they have already mentioned this fraudulent person to the listener or not. If the speaker has already spoken about this person, then 'the' is the best option. If not, 'a' is the best choice.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

As far as I know, we do not use 'the' article in meals but I have seen the below examples The lunch meal slowly became institutionalised in England. Is 'the' optional in this case? and has it been used because we are talking about specific lunch e.g. in England? In Turkey the breakfast often consists of a scone, milk, tea, eggs, jam or cheese Again here? Would be incorrect if we do use 'the' in both cases? I would be very happy if you can help? thank you.

Hello Muratt,

These sentences are examples of the definite article for general meaning.

All articles can be used for general meaning, but there are subtle differences between them. I wrote quite a long answer on this topic for another user so I'll link to that below. I think it will answer your questions. There are also some further explanations in the following comments:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/comment/129066#comment-129066

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

I worked at the gym or I worked in the gym? Which is correct? Is the same for: I have been working in/at the gym for two years?

Hi Stefan xy

Both 'at' and 'in' can be used here. This Cambridge Dictionary page explains the different ways these two prepositions are used. I think that should answer your question, but please let us know if not.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, while reading the title "The definite article with names", I was wondering why to use "the" at the beginning of the sentence instead of writing "Definite article with nouns"?

Hello Giada,

The convention is to name articles as follows:

the definite article / the indefinite article / the zero article

In each case we are not talking about articles in general, but rather a specific kind of article.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello Sir , In which tense is this verb : was deposed. Best wishes.

Hello Momocompanyman,

The tense here is past simple and it is a passive form (passive voice), so the verb form is past simple passive.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Thanks a lot

If I were to say that my uncle is a policeman, what would I have said: My uncle is a policeman. My uncle works as a policeman. My uncle works in the police.

Hello Ritwika Chatterjee,

All of those are perfectly fine apart from the last one, which I think should say for the police rather than in the police.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

In 1997 , Canada was the main source of fish imported to US. Is this sentence is grammatically correct or not as I used was and not used ing and third form of verb , my friend said that it is wrong but I think it is right.

Hi Urs Garry,

The verb forms are fine in your sentence, though you should say 'the US' instead of 'US'.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Hello Sir I went through your website - articles under 'basis grammar' I understood one does not use an article with plural nouns. Let me know it is wrong to say: The cow is a useful animal or it is not wrong. For e.g. Cows are useful animals. Elephants are herbivorous animals but better not' the elephants are herbivorous animals' etc. Please let me know. Thank you. Regards Lal

Hi Lal,

That's correct -- it sounds as if you've understood this very well. Well done!

Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Which is much more correct ? However, the power, the reflexes, and the sensation were normal. Or However, the power, reflexes and sensation were normal.

Hello Khalid2012,

Both are perfectly fine. The second is more likely as we usually avoid repeating the article in lists like this. However, the first could have more rhetorical power in certain contexts, such as when making an argument in a discussion or debate, for example.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello dear team, What is your job (at/ in) this school? Which one is true (in or at)? Thanks a lot.

Hello Hosseinpour,

I have heard both prepositions used and I think it may depend upon a person's dialect. Personally, I would use 'at', but I would not consider 'in' to be wrong.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello dear Peter, Thank you. Thanks a lot.

I have seen the below examples on a website but I have not understood the difference: -The English language is spoken in the United Kingdom. -English is spoken in the United Kingdom. In this example, do they mean English is spoken in general? Is this why, the article 'the' is omitted? and what is the difference compare to the first example?

Hello Muratt,

There is no difference in meaning.

You can use the name of the language without an article: Russian, Polish, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese etc.

You can use an adjective before the word 'language' with a definite article: the Russian language, the Polish language, the Spanish language, the Arabic language, the Chinese language etc.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Dear Sir, What is the logic or rule behind the use of the definite article when an adjective is used? Why the Russian language or the Polish language? Does the use of an adjective make an abstract noun concrete and definite? Thanks.

Hello cbenglish It's very difficult, if not impossible, to state rules about the use of articles that apply in all situations, as in many cases their use depends on context and the speaker's viewpoint. For example, in 'The book on the table is the one I want you to read' and 'The green book on the table is the one I want you to read', the adjective 'green' has no impact on my choice to use 'the' here. There are many reasons I could use 'the' in this case: it could be that we can both see the book, it could be that there is only one book on the table, or it could be there is a green book on the table and another green book on the bookshelf. In all these cases, my view as the speaker is that the book has already been mentioned or is in our shared experience in some way. When we speak about 'the Polish language', we are generally speaking about just one language and this is why 'the' is used in many cases. We couldn't properly say, for example, 'the Indian language', because of course there are very many, but we could say 'the Marathi language', though most of the time we just say 'Marathi', 'Urdu', 'Tamil', 'Bengali' or whatever. I hope that helps clear it up for you a little. Learning to use articles in English takes a bit of practice. Good luck! All the best Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Hi! I'm sorry if someone's asked already, but I've never managed to find this matter anywhere. Do I need to put the article before the full name of a legal entity (as per the articles of association)? Example: The plan was to discuss (_/the) Omega JSC's operations? Thank you in advance, Sergey

Hi freond,

The answer is that it depends on the nature of the name, I'm afraid. If the name is simply a proper name, such as 'Omega JSC' then no article is used. However, if the name is a name with a descriptive meaning then a definite article is used.

Thus we say

HSBC Bank

ExxonMobil

BP / British Petroleum

but we say

the Bank of England

The Federal Reserve

The London Stock Exchange

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Understood, no article in my case. In your second case includes common names: Bank, Reserve, Exchange. And in my case, there is no common name. Thank you, Peter.

Hello Sir Please let me know where one use 'the' and don't Every Sunday he goes to church to pray. Yesterday he went to the church to meet the father. I think the above are correct. But which one is correct 'with 'the or without the' in the following. Every Friday I go to market to buy fresh vegetables/ Every Friday I go to the market to buy vegetables. My mother has gone to the bank to deposit money./My mother has gone to bank.to deposit money. Please let me know. Regards Lal

Hi Lal,

Yes, the first two sentences are correct. In the second one, you could also just say 'to church' if he went there for mass, but it's probably more common to say 'to the church' there.

In the second, 'go to the market' is the correct option. 'go to market' is used in some business contexts, but in the context of vegetables, 'the market' is used.

The same is true in the third case: 'to the bank', not 'to bank'.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

These examples depend on whether the nouns are countable, non-countable, or variable (meaning they can be either one.) In your first two sentences, "church" can be used as a countable noun (for example, when you are referring to an actual, physical church), or as a non-countable noun (for example, the religious services held in a physical church.) You can count physical churches (so it will have a/the before it), but you cannot count the idea of the services that take place there (which would not have a/the before it). This Learners' Dictionary identifies if a noun is countable or not and gives example sentences. For example, http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/church shows the countable examples in definition 1a and non-countable in 1b. Your examples are both correct. The first sentence uses church as a reference to something that can happen, and be a part of the experience that happens in a physical church: prayer. It does not refer to a real, physical church, and therefore does not have "the". The second sentence implies going to a physical church building in order to meet "the father" of/at that specific church, and therefore needs "the". In the next set of sentences, it sounds best to say "...go to the market..." A market is a physical (and countable) thing you will be going to. You will sometimes see or hear the phrase "go to market" but that is generally used as in idiom in business and commerce to indicate you are offering a product up for sale for the first time. ("Next year we will go to market with the next version of the software.") "Bank" is only a countable noun and therefore needs a/the in front. There are lots of other cases that can get confusing, but here are some phrases you can look up for more information: zero article (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-marking_in_English#Zero_article) countable nouns uncountable nouns collective nouns mass nouns I hope this post is somewhat comprehendable.

In the previous article, you described the case when we must `use a/an with a singular noun to say something about all things of that kind`, but in this article, you say `We also use the definite article: to say something about all the things referred to by a noun:`. Which of these is true?

Hello nurlybekovnt,

Both of these statements are true. Please see Peter's response to EnglishZenon for more information about these two forms. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to ask them, but please ask them in the same thread if possible.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Hello dear Peter, Thank you for the feedback, duly noted. Thank you.

The definite article: 'the'

The definite article with names

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