THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

RULES AND EXERCISES

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 hearer/reader knows exactly what we are
referring to.

because there is only one:

The Pope is visiting Russia.

The moon is very bright tonight.
The Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979.

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 place or in those surroundings:

We live in a small village 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 grandmothers house we went to the beach (the beach near my grandmothers
=
every day. house)

Look at the boy in the blue shirt over there. = (the boy I am pointing at)

because we have already mentioned it:

A woman who fell 10 meters from High Peak was lifted to safety by a helicopter. The woman fell while
climbing.
The rescue is the latest in a series of incidents on High Peak. In January last year two men walking on the peak
were killed in a fall.

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)

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

Joe plays the piano really well.(= George can play any piano)
She is learning the guitar.(= She is learning to play any 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.

With adjectives like rich, poor, elderly, 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 disabled.

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 Nepal; the United States; the Peoples 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; 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; the Sunflowers

organizations:

the United Nations; the Seamens Union

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 hotels, pubs and restaurants*:

the Ritz; the Ritz Hotel; the Kings Head; the Dj Vu

*Note: We do not use the definite article if the name of the hotel or restaurant is the name of the owner, e.g.,
Browns; Browns Hotel; Morels; Morels Restaurant, etc.

families:

the Obamas; the Jacksons

EXERCISES

1. Decide whether to use the definite article >the< or not. If you do not need the article >the<, use x.

1) My grandmother likes _______________ flowers very much.

2) I love __________ flowers in your garden.

3) See you on __________ Wednesday.

4) I always listen to __________ radio in the morning.

5) Alex goes to work by __________ bus.

6) Don't be late for __________ school.

7) Listen! Dennis is playing __________ trumpet.

8) We often see our cousins over __________ Easter.

9) She has never been to __________ Alps before.

10) What about going to Australia in __________ February?

2.Decided whether to use the definite article >the< or not. If you do not need the article the, type an x.

Hi John,

I arrived in __________ USA last Monday. We left __________ Rome, flew over __________ Alps and made a
quick stop in __________ London. There we went shopping in __________ Harrods, visited __________
Tower and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in __________ Hyde Park. On the following day we left for __________
New York. __________ time on board wasn't boring as there were two films to watch on __________ monitor.
people on __________ plane were all __________ Italian. Before we landed at __________ JFK airport, we
saw __________ Statue of Liberty, __________ Ellis Island and __________ Empire State Building.
__________ hotel I stayed in was on __________ corner of __________ 42nd Street and __________ 5th

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Avenue. I don't like __________ hotels very much, but I didn't have __________ time to rent an apartment.
Please say hello to Peter and Mandy.
3. Choose the correct option

Q1 - I like listening to ____.

radio the radio Either could be used here.

Q2 - She's reading Italian at ____.

University the university Q11 - Do you often go to _____?

Q3 - I'll take you to _____. church the church

airport the airport Either could be used here. Q12 - It's ____.

Q4 - He was sent to ____ for theft. Amazon the Amazon

prison the prison Q13 - I'm going to ____.

Q5 - She lives in _____. Bed the bed

north the North Either could be used here. Q14 - She's gone to ____.

Q6 - I like ____ food. office the office

Indian the Indian Either could be used here. Q15 - I don't go to ____ very often.

Q7 - I spoke to ______. Theatre the theatre

manager the manager Either could be used Q16 - I'm seeing ____ tomorrow.
here.
Dentist the dentist
Q8 - Do you like _____ cheese?
Q17 - What did you have for ____?
Stilton the Stilton
Dinner the dinner
Q9 - We went for a walk in _____.
Q18 - I'm going to _____ to get some cash.
park the park Either could be used here.
Bank the bank
Q10 - She was born in ____.
Q19 - He's in ____.
France the France Either could be used here.
Trouble the trouble

Q20 - It's the first road on ____.

Right the right

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Complete the conversation using the where necessary.

Text No 1

Do you go to (1) __________ church?

No, not very often. At (2) __________ Christmas and (3) __________ Easter usually. We go to (4)
__________ church in Clifton Street.

Where do your children go to (5) __________ school?

Both our children go to (6) __________ local school, just down (7) __________ road.

And after (8) __________ school? Will they go to (9) __________college or to (10) __________ university?

I doubt it. (11) __________ older one, Emma, wants to be a nurse. You see shes got a friend who works in
(12) __________ hospital in (13) __________ center of town. Her brother will probably go to (14) __________
prison! He attacked a man and they had to take him to (15) __________ hospital.

And is your son still at (16) __________ school?

No, not really. In fact he spends most of (17) __________ time in (18) __________ bed. I just want him to
leave (19) __________ home and go out to (20) __________ work!

Text No 2

I hate (1) __________ November! It doesnt get light till (2) __________8 oclock in (3) __________ morning.
Then its dark again as early as (4) __________ 4 oclock in (5) __________ afternoon. After (6) __________
Christmas, (7) __________ days start to get a bit longer, but (8) __________ weather starts to get colder. On (9)
__________ Friday (10) __________ last week, (11) __________ temperature was minus 10o. (12) __________
next week (13) __________ weather forecast is (14) __________ same.

Text No 3

Hi! This is Nick. We met at (1) __________ party at (2) __________ Sarahs house on (3) __________
Saturday. Remember?

Oh, yes. I remember.

Are you free this evening? Theres a good band playing at (4) __________ Red Lion.

Sounds interesting. Yes, OK. But I cant get there before (5) __________ 9 oclock at (6) __________ earliest.
I havent had (7) __________ dinner yet.

Thats OK. I can pick you up and we can go by (8) __________ car. Where do you live exactly?

In (9) __________ Granby Road. Do you know it?

Im afraid not.

Take (10) __________ first turning on (11) __________ right after (12) __________ bridge over (13)
__________ River Avon.

Is that opposite (14) __________ Odeon Cinema?

Thats right. Then take (15) __________ second turning on (16) ___________ left after (17) __________ St-
Lukes Church, thats Granby Road.

OK. Ill see you later.

Text No 4

1. __________ Pacific Ocean is deeper than __________ Atlantic Ocean.

2. __________ teenagers really like to surf on __________ Internet.

3. __________ hottest continent in __________ world is __________ Africa.

4. __________ Chinese is harder to learn than __________ French.

5. Did you eat __________ apples that I left on the table?

Text No 5

1. __________ River Nile is __________ longest river in __________ world.

2. __________ Volga is __________ longest river in __________ Europe.

3. __________ Mount Kilimanjaro is __________ Highest mountain in __________ Africa.

4. __________ Downing Street is __________ residence of __________ Britains Prime Minister.

5. __________ White House is where __________ President of __________ USA lives.

6. __________ rich and __________ famous stay at __________ Ritz Hotel in __________ London.

7. __________Trafalgar Square is __________ most famous square in __________ London.

8. __________ English, __________ French and __________ Spanish colonised __________ West Indies.