the

One of the most common words in English is “the.”  The word “the” is a definite article. It identifies things that are specific.  The other articles, “a” and “an,” are indefinite.  They are used with nonspecific nouns. 

  • The pears on the table are delicious. 
  •  The bike that I ride every day is in the garage. 
  • The students in my classroom are from all over the world. 

Note: The rules for articles–a, an, the, or no article–can be confusing and seem inconsistent. It’s usually a good idea to study all of the articles together. 

the

a. Use "the" for specific things.

The article “the” is used for things that are specific. These are certain, definite things–in contrast to general things. 

  • The house where I live is in Minnesota. (This is a specific house.) 
  • The people in this area are very friendly. (These are specific people.) 
  • We like the food that is served at this restaurant. (This is the food served only at this specific restaurant.) 
  • The weather forecast for today calls for rain. (Today is the day I’m thinking about.) 

You’ll often hear the use of “the” when a person mentions a thing the second time, after introducing it with an indefinite article, “a” or “an.” 

  • Maria has a class today. The class meets at 2:00 p.m. 
  • Victor needs a new computer. The computer he wants to buy is an iMac. 
  • I went to the library to get a book. The book I got was about gardening.  
  • Our teacher uses an Apple desktop computer. The computer is on his desk. 
Calm Asian female wearing white pajama sleeping in comfortable bed with white sheets near modern mobile phone in morning
  • The bed that she sleeps in is very comfortable.  
several sliced of vegetable pizza on round white platter
  • The pizza that we picked up from the pizzeria was delicious. 

b. Use "the" for things and people that are part of an institution.

There are certain places and people that often take the article “the.” 

  • Regina needs to go to the doctor. 
  • Walter has to go to the dentist. 
  • I have to go to the bank to get some money. 
  • You can borrow books for free from the library. 
  • Jose says he’s going to join the military. 
  • Let’s go to the store to get some fruit. 
  • Charles is going to the movies with Daniella. 
boy feeding a animal during daytime
  • You can see many different kinds of animals at the zoo. 
  • Children love to go to the zoo. 
red vehicle in timelapse photography
  • Someone is being rushed to the hospital. 

c. Use "the" for names of places and things found in nature.

You can use “the” with proper nouns for geographical locations. 

  • We live very close to the Mississippi River. 
  • The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. 
  • The Sahara Dessert is located in Africa. 
  • The English Channel is between England and France. 
  • Visitors to Germany may enjoy walking through the Black Forest. 
  • The Alps are found in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy.  
  • The Ural Mountains are found between Europe and Asia. 

Use “the” before large celestial objects or natural entities on Earth. 

  • The sun is lower in the sky during the winter compared to the summer. 
  • The chance to live near the ocean is a big attraction in some countries. 
  • We’re going to go to the lake this afternoon and have lunch on the beach. 
  • If you go to the desert, make sure you bring a lot of water. 
English for the Planet
  • People who live in Florida can watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.  
full moon and gray clouds during nighttime
  • On some nights, you can see the moon and the stars when there aren’t any clouds in the way.  

d. The United States

A very common mistake is not to put “the” before “The United States. 

  • I live in the United States. 
  • The United States is a country of over 330 million people. (Notice that “The United States” is singular because it’s one country.) 
  • Have you ever visited the United States? 

There are a few other countries that use “the” in their title: The Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and  the People’s Republic of China are other examples. 

Statue of Liberty in front USA flag under blue sky
  • The Statue of Liberty greets people as they arrive in the United States. 

e. Sometimes "the" is used with noncount nouns and gerunds.

The use of “the” is a little tricky when it comes to noncount nouns. 

  • I buy a lot of fruit at the grocery store. 
  • The fruit that I bought yesterday is on the table. 
  • Gold is a good investment for some people. The gold that we have is kept in a safe. 
  • Maria needs to get some milk for her kids. The milk that she buys is whole milk. 

It’s possible to use “the” with some gerunds. This often happens when a verb is used in one sentence which then is turned into a gerund in the next sentence.  

  • Maya and Jeff’s baby has been crying a lot lately. They are both concerned about the crying. 
  • Paul’s students always complain about his assignment. All the complaining is getting on his nerves. 
  • The two countries are fighting against each other. The fighting has resulted in thousands of deaths. 
fountain pen on black lined paper
  • I do a lot of writing. The writing you see here is in cursive. 
silhouette of soldiers
  • Many people died during the fighting.  

 

You can click here to go to the English Vocabulary page.