Hello everyone,
I hope you are all keeping well :)
Today we are going to revise how to properly use the article "the". As you know, we only have one definite article in English: "the". However, unlike other European languages such as Italian, French or Spanish, we do not follow the same rules in English, which can be very confusing for some students.
If you wish to revise the fundamental grammar explaining when and how to use "the", this Spanish website does an excellent job: https://idiomium.es/el-articulo-determinado-en-ingles/
If you clearly understand the fundamentals of the definite article, then we can carry on :)
You should know that English does not use the definite article when speaking in general terms. This is often very confusing for Spanish speakers because Spanish does the opposite: "los gatos son muy listos", "los alemanes son muy rubios". In fact, unlike English, most European languages (if they derive from Latin like Spanish, French and Italian) do use definite articles:
The rule that establishes the omission of "the" when speaking in general terms is found in many cases. Nevertheless, we can summarise them into the following list:
Indefinite Plural Nouns
Proper Names
Abstract Nouns
The Noun "Home"
Main Purpose of Places
Body Parts and Clothing
We are going to explore each case and the exceptions for each case.
Indefinite Plural Nouns
We do not use "the" in front of indefinite plural nouns - in other words, when we speak in general terms.
For example:
I like dogs. (Me gustan los perros)
Girls are more intelligent than boys. (Las chicas son más listas que los chicos.)
English people are very pale. (Los ingleses son muy pálidos.)
** However, we do use the definite article when we are specifying or stating a difference.
I like the dogs that you adopted. (Me gustan los perros que has adoptado.)
The girls in this class are more intelligent than the boys. (Las chicas en esta clase son más listas que los chicos.)
The English people in this hotel are pale. (Los ingleses en este hotel son muy pálidos.)
Proper Names
We do not use "the" in front of proper names - so, the same as in Spanish.
I have seen Alison.
He bought flowers for his girlfriend Caroline.
** However, we do use the definite article in three cases:
1. In front of plural surnames, so when we are naming the whole family.
The Lanes = The Lane family
The Potters = The Potter family
2. Two distinguish between two people with the same name/surname.
A - We have two Andreas in this class. Which one are you looking for?
B - I am looking for the Andrea who wears glasses.
3. We do not use "the" in front of title + name, but we do use it with the title alone.
Doctor Watson is Sherlock's sidekick.
The doctor lives at 221B Baker Street.
Headmaster Thompson retired last year.
The headmaster of this school retired last year.
Abstract Nouns
We do not use "the" in front of abstract nouns.
Young children are afraid of darkness. (Los niños pequeños tienen miedo a la oscuridad.)
We should look after nature. (Deberiamos cuidar de la naturaleza).
After my eye operation, I was very sensitive to light. (Después de mi operación, me molestaba mucho la luz).
** However, we do use the definite article when we use abstract nouns in a particular sense:
My nieces are afraid of the darkness in their room. (Mis sobrinas tienen miedo a la oscuridad en su cuarto.)
We should look after the nature around our town. (Deberiamos cuidar de la naturaleza alrededor de nuestro pueblo).
After my eye operation, I was very sensitive to the light from the window. (Después de mi operación, me molestaba mucho la luz de la ventana).
The Noun "Home"
We do not use "the" in front of "home".
I am going home (Me voy a mi casa).
They went back home (Volvieron a su casa).
** However, we do use the definite article when making a description of "home":
I visited the beautiful home he owns in France. (Visité la preciosa casa que tiene en Francia.)
We went to the home that my mum grew up in. (Fuimos a la casa donde mi madre se crió.)
Main Purpose of Places
We do not use "the" in front of nouns that can refer to both a place and an activity, when they are used/visited for their main purpose. This list will help you understand:
go to church - to pray be at church (as worshippers)
go to market - to sell / buy be at market (as sellers / buyers)
go to school - to study be at school (as students)
go to hospital - to be treated be at hospital (as patients)
go to college/university - to study be at college/university (as students)
go to prison - to be punished be at prison (as prisoners)
go to bed - to sleep be at bed (as sleepers)
go to court - to be judged be at court (as litigants/lawyers/judges)
go to sea - to sail be at sea (as sailors)
go to work - to work be at work (as workers)
** However, we do use "the" when going to any of these places to do an unusual activity.
I go to church (to pray) every day --> I went to the church to admire the stained glass
My children are at school right now --> My husband is at the school watching our children singing carols
She went to prison for her crime --> She went to the prison to visit her sister
He went to bed (to sleep) --> He went to the bed to jump on it
Body Parts and Clothing
We do not use "the" in front of body parts and clothing because we normally use possessive pronouns.
I hurt my leg while playing basketball (Me hice daño en la pierna jugando al baloncesto).
Her dress is so beautiful (Su vestido es tan bonito.)
Ed's hat is on the floor (El gorro de Ed está en el suelo)
He cut his thumb (Se cortó el dedo índice.)
Body parts and clothing can use "the", but never when referring to people's body parts or clothing, only when referring to the general sense.
The human hand was key to our success as humans.
I’m buying the skirt I saw in Zara yesterday.
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I hope this has been a useful post!
Best wishes,
Carla
I have found it useful because I have learned uses of this article that I didn’t know. It’s interesting because it’s very different from Spanish.