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Try to study these 7 basic rules
which will help you use the article correctly: |
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RULE # 1 |
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We do not use
the article with names of countries. However there are some exceptions
to this rule, e.g.
the United States, the Netherlands,
the Philippines. Other geographical places we do
not use the article with are: the names of continents, cities, lakes,
mountains and streets: |
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Europe, Africa, New York, Buenos Aires
Lake Michigan, Lake Geneva
Mont Blanc, Mount Aconcagua
Fifth Avenue, Florida Street. |
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But we use
the article with these geographical places: the names
of rivers, canals, oceans, seas, mountain ranges: |
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the Amazon, the Parana, the Panama Canal
the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean
the Andes, the Alps, the Himalayas. |
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RULE # 2 |
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We do not use
the article for referring to uncountable nouns (or plural countable
nouns) in an indefinite way. But we use 'THE'
in the pattern 'THE' + noun + a
phrase to indicate who or what we are specifically referring to: |
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the advice of a counsellor
the love she gave her children
the letters on his desk |
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RULE # 3 |
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We do not use
the article in certain prepositional phrases with 'institutions' (e.g.
church, college, home, hospital, prison, school, university, bed): |
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My wife's in hospital.
They go to church every Sunday.
He's in prison for armed robbery.
Go to bed immediately!! |
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In these examples we are thinking
of the
function
of the institution. But when you are thinking of the
institution as a specific
place
you use 'THE': |
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Susan's in the hospital round the corner.
I want to go to the church where the poet is buried.
The conditions in the old prison were really bad.
Don't put your shoes on the bed. |
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RULE # 4 |
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We do not use
the article with personal names: |
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Jane Fonda, Dr Valladares, Pope Francisco |
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But we use
'THE' to emphasise that someone or something is the
most famous of its kind: |
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We also
use 'THE' with people's titles: |
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the Pope, the doctor, the Emperor of Japan |
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NOTE: Remember to
use
'A' or 'AN' with people's jobs and professions: |
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Sandra is a doctor, Mike is an engineer |
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RULE # 5 |
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We do not use
the article to refer to plural countable nouns, but we
use
'THE' + an
adjective to refer to a category of people as a whole: |
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the old, the handicapped, the Argentinians |
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RULE # 6 |
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We do not use
the article with some time expressions: |
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at night, at sunset, before sunrise,
after sunrise |
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But with many common time
expressions we use 'THE': |
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in the morning, in the afternoon, in
the evening
in the past, at the moment, during the day |
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RULE # 7 |
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We do not use
the article when referring to the name of a sport: |
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I don't like tennis, Do you play
football? |
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But we use
'THE' for referring to musical instruments: |
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Jorge Essen plays the piano beautifully. |
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On the next page you will be able to practise
this grammar. |
