Where should we use 'The' - Definite article

The Definite Article 'The' is used in following cases

1. While speaking of a particular person or thing or one already referred to.

Example: She found a purse. The purse contained a golden chain. The golden chain is very precious.

2. When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole category class.

Example: The dog is a faithful animal. (Or we can say Dogs are faithful animals.)

3. The is used before superlatives.

Example: She is the most beautiful girl in our college.

4. 'The' is used with the names of renowned buildings, gulf, river, ocean, sea etc.

Example: The Tajmahal, The Persian Gulf, The Char Minar, The Pacific, The Ganga, The Red Sea, The Yamuna etc.

5. 'The' is placed only before the plural names of islands and the mountain ranges, chains of mountains, plural names of countries.

Example: The Netherlands, The Phillipines, The Bahamas, The Himalayas etc.

('The', is not used before the names of countries but if the name of the country contains words like; States, Kingdom, Republic, we use 'the' before them. e.g., The USA,The USSR, The UK, The Republic of Ireland, The Domonican Republic etc.)

6. 'The' is used before names consisting of adjective + noun (provided the adjective is not East/West etc.)

Example: The Arabian gulf, The new forest, The High Street etc.

7. 'The' is also used before names consisting of noun + of + noun.

Example: The Cape of Good Hope, The Boy of Biscay, The Gulf of Mexico etc.

8. 'The' is used before the adjectives East/West etc. + noun in certain names.

Example: The East/West End, The East/West Indies, The North/South Pole.

9. 'The' is also used before the name of direction.

Example: The East, The West, The North, The South.

10. 'The' is used before the name of persons (family) in plural.

Example: The Raymonds, The Ambanis, The Birlas etc.

11. Before the names of important and renowned books.

Example: The Ramayana, The Mahabharata etc.

12. Before such common nouns that are names of things unique of their kind.

Example: The Sun, The Earth, The Sky, The World, The Sea, The environment etc.

(a) The Sky is dark and the Moon is shining.

(b) The Sea seems calm today.

Note: (i) In following cases we do not use 'The' before 'Sea'

                     (a) We go to sea as sailors.

                     (b) He is at sea now-a-days. (on a voyage)

         (ii) We can use 'the' before 'Space' if it means place but if it means area beyond the Earth's atmosphere, do not use 'the' before it.

                     (a) He tried to park his car there but the space was too small.

                     (b) There are lacs of stars in space.

13. Before terms referring Nationality or community.

Example: The Indian, The French, The American, The Hindu etc.

14. Before a proper noun, only when it is qualified by an adjective.

Example: The great Chandragupta, The Immortal Shivaji, The Brave Bhagat Singh etc.

15. With ordinals like

Example: (a) He was the first man to stand up.

(b) The sixth chapter of this book is important.

Note: First, Second, Third......... are called ordinals while One, Two, three etc are called cardinals.

16. Before musical instruments and name of inventions.

Examples: (a) He can play the flute/the tabla/ the harmonium well.

(b) who invented the telephone?

17. Before an adjective, when the noun represents a class of persons.

Examples: (a) The young will support Narendra Modi.

(b) The poor can be trusted.

18. Before a common noun to give it the meaning of an abstract noun.

Examples:

(a) The moralist in Gandhi, revolted against the injustice.

(b) The judge in her prevailed upon the wife.

19. 'The' is used before name of Newspaper, community, political party, historical event, train ship, Aeroplane etc.

20. When two or more nouns refer to one person, put 'the' before the first noun only. If both the nouns refer two different persons or things, 'the' is used before both of them.

Example:

(a) The producer and financier was present there. (producer and financier is one person)

(b) The producer and the financier were present there. (both are different persons. )

21. 'The' is used as an adverb with a comparative.

Examples: (a) The more she gets the more she demands.

(b) The sooner you complete the better it is.

22. 'The' is used before comparative degree being used for selection or comparison.

Example: (a) He is the stronger of the two.

(b) This is the better of the two novels.

23. When a person is being referred by his designation.

Examples: The chairman, the director, the president etc.

24. when the thing referred is understood.

Examples:

(a) Kindly return the book. (That I gave you)

(b) Can you turn off the light.

25. 'the' is used in some phrases also.

Examples: 

(a) What is the matter?

(b) Come to the point.

(c) She came to the rescue.

(d) Keep to the left.

(e) The market is hot with the rumor.

(f) He is in the wrong.

26. In phrases; go to the cinema, go to the theatre etc.

Example: She went to the cinema etc.

27. Before names of committee, club, foundation and trust.

Examples: The Lions club, The Rotary club, The united nation, The WHO, The RSS etc.

I hope I have covered all the points. If any point is missing please mention.

You should also see Where to not use 'the' - Definite article.

Read More

Where should we not use 'The' - Definite article in english

Hello Friends. As we know that every competition exam has spotting error section. Many questions relate with the use of 'The' - Definite article. It is very confusing to decide where should we use 'The' article and where should we not. I am providing some rules here which will help you to decide where we should not use 'The' article. I hope you guys will find it useful.

Zero Article Position

You should learn the following points carefully to avoid the wrong use of articles. Article is omitted in following cases

1. Before a proper noun

Example: Akbar was a great king.
When an 'Article' is used before a proper noun, it becomes a common noun.

Examples:
(a) Mumbai is the Manchester of India
(b) This man is a second Sachin.

2. Before a common noun, used in its widest sense.

Examples:
(a) Man is mortal.
(b) What kind of bird it is?

3. Before Plural Nouns referring a class in a general sense.

Examples
(a) Bankers are generally honest.
(b) Lawyers are generally intelligent.

4. Before Abstract Nouns that express qualities, state, feeling, actions.

Example:
(a) Honesty is the best policy.
(b) Virtue is its own reward.

when abstract nouns, instead of referring qualities, express person or things possessing such qualities or express qualities of definite objects. They are preceded by article.

5. Before Material Nouns

Example:
(a) Iron is a hard metal.
(b) Silver is a semi-precious metal.

When material nouns express things instead of matter of which they are made they are representing 'common noun', so they can be preceded by the article.

6. Before names of diseases like Fever, Cholera, Consumption etc.
(But if the names of diseases are plural in their form, the article is generally used as, the measles, the mumps.)

7. Before name of regular meals. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Example: He was invited to dinner.

(But if the meal becomes particular article is used)
The dinner hosted by the queen was superb.

8. Before name of things single in kind (Hell, Heaven, God, Parliament, Paradise etc)
 but 'The Pope', 'The Devil' are exceptions.

Examples:
(a) He was condemned to hell.
(b) The Pope delivered a religious speech.

9. Before name of 'Languages' or 'Colours'

Example:
(a) I do not know 'Hindi' but know 'English'.
(b) I like red and blue colours.

10. Before certain titles and names indicating the relationship. (Emperor Ashoka, President Bush, Dewan Bahadur etc.)

Examples:
(a) Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth's son.
(b) President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
(c) He is Duke of York.

11. Before a noun following the expression 'kind of'

Examples:
(a) What kind of girl is she?
(b) What kind of boy is he?

12. In certain phrases.

To take breath, to set sail, to leave school, to lay seige, to catch fire, at home, in hand, at school, by water, at Sunset, on Earth, by land, by train, by car, on demand, in debt, in jest etc.

13. Before nouns, which are plural in their meanings, though singular in form i.e.

cattle, gentry, furniture, scenery, advice, information.

14. Before names of public institution (Church, School, University, prison, Hospital, Court etc.) if they are used for the purpose they exist rather than actual building.

Example: He went to Church.

Note: He went to the church and from there he took a bus. In this example he went to a place where building of the church is situated.

15. When two or more descriptive adjectives qualify the same noun and adjectives are connected by 'and' the article is used before the first adjective only.

Example: This is a Hindi and English Dictionary. (Here dictionary is one.)

16. If two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the article is used before the first noun only, but if they refer to different persons or things, the article must be used with each one.

Example:
(a) He is a better soldier than statesman.
(b) He was a great soldier than statesman.

17. Article is omitted after the possessive case.

Example: His brother's car, Ramesh's house.

18. Article is omitted with professions.

Example:
(a) Engineering is a useful career.
(b) He will probably go into medicine.

19. Article is omitted with years.

Examples:
(a) 1947 was a wonderful year.
(b) Do you remember 2011?

20. No article is used before name of games, sports.

Examples:
(a) I am playing cricket.
(b) He is fond of playing tennis.

21. No article is used before a noun when it is modified by either a possessive adjective or a demonstrative adjective.

Examples:
(a) Do you like my shirt? (Possessive adjective 'my')
(b) I like this pen. (Demonstrative adjective 'this')

22. No article is used before a noun when it is preceded by a distributive adjective.

Example:
(a) Every student got a prize. (Distributive adjective 'every')
(b) Each student was presented in the hall. (Distributive adjective 'each')

23. No article is used before number+noun.

Examples:
(a) The train arrives at platform 7.
(b) I want shoes in size 10.

24. Work (= place of work) is used without definite article 'the'.

Examples:
(a) He is on his way to work.
(b) She is at work.
(c) They have't back from work yet.

Note: Office (= place of work) needs 'the' for example He is at/in the office.
To be in office(without the) means to hold an official (usually political) position.

25. Definite article 'the' is omitted when speaking of the subject's or speaker's own town.

Example:
(a) We go to town sometimes to meet our mother.
(b) We went to town last year and remained there for a week.

26. 'Nature' when means environment, do not use article before it.

Example: If you interfere with nature you will suffer for it.

27. No article is used before name of 'Season'

Examples:
(a) In Spring we like to clean the house.
(b) She is planning to visit her parents in winter.

28. Definite article 'the' is not used before 'time of day'.

Examples:
(a) We traveled mostly by night.
(b) We will be there around midnight.

29. Names without 'the'

Names of any places, especially names of important buildings and institutions consist of two words. First word is usually the name of a person or a place, we do not use 'the' before such names usually.

Example: Delhi Airport, Victoria Station, London Zoo, Jaisingh Palace, Indira Gandhi Airport etc.

30. Usually no article is used with the name of Airlines, Companies.

British Airways, Sony, IBM, KODAK, Indian Airlines etc.


According to my knowledge and resources these are the rule which describes where we should not use article. If you have any suggestion you are welcome. Please share your knowledge and contribute to make this list useful.

Enjoy friends. Cheers!!!!!!
जय श्री राम

You should also visit Where to use 'The' - Definite article

Read More