Article The

Exercises

Explanation

What do we use the?

• The is the most common word in English.

• We use it when the listener or reader knows exactly what we mean.

When there is only one

• The Pope is visiting France.

• The moon is very bright tonight.

• Who is the president of France?

With superlatives

• He is the tallest boy in the class.

• It is the oldest building in the town.

When it is clear in the context

• We live next to the church. (= the one in our village)

• Dad, can I borrow the car? (= our family’s car)

• At Grandma’s house, we went to the beach every day.

• Look at the boy over there. (= the one I’m pointing at)

When it was mentioned before

• A young man tried to rob a shop.

• The man used a hammer to smash the windows.

To talk about all things in general

• The wolf is not really dangerous. (= Wolves are not dangerous)

• The kangaroo lives in Australia.

• The heart pumps blood around the body.

With musical instruments

• Joe plays the piano really well.

• She is learning the guitar.

With systems and services

• How long does it take on the train?

• I heard it on the radio.

• You should tell the police.

With adjectives for groups of people

• Life is hard for the poor.

• I think the rich should pay more taxes.

• She works for a group that helps the elderly.

The definite article with names

We usually do not use the with:

• People’s names - William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

• Cities - Paris is the capital of France.

• Most countries - Japan is in Asia.

We use the with:

Countries with kingdom, states, republic:

the United Kingdom, the United States, the People’s Republic of China

Countries with plural nouns:

the Netherlands, the Philippines

Geographical features:

the Himalayas, the Amazon, the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal

Newspapers:

The Times, The Washington Post

Famous buildings or art:

the Empire State Building, the Taj Mahal, the Mona Lisa

Organisations:

the United Nations, the Seamen’s Union

Hotels, pubs, restaurants:

the Ritz, the King’s Head, the Déjà Vu

But: Brown’s Hotel, Morel’s Restaurant (no article because they are named after people)

Families:

the Obamas, the Jacksons

When NOT to use the (Zero article)

• With people’s names: Mary, Peter, Mr. Brown.

• With countries and cities (except special ones): France, Canada, London.

• With languages and school subjects: English, math, chemistry.

• With meals: We had dinner at 7.

• With sports: She plays tennis.