Page 40 - New Grammar with a Smile 5

Definite Article

We use the definite article

1. when we refer to a noun that is one of its kind. For example,
y The moon is very bright today.

y The prime minister will address the nation tonight.

2. when we refer to a noun that we have already mentioned. For example,

y An armed robber stole money from the bank. The police has not caught the
thief yet.

3. when we refer to a noun that we believe is known to the hearer or reader.
For example,

y Please give me the book you were reading.

y The man is drinking coffee.

4. when we refer to a specific geographical point on earth. For example,
y It is very cold at the South Pole as well as at the North Pole.

y The equator is an imaginary line.

5. with words such as next, only, same, following, previous. For example,

y She is the only daughter of her parents.
y I went to see him again the following night.

y We had watched the same film the previous evening.

6. before a common noun when the noun represents the whole family/group/class.
For example,

y The dog is a faithful animal.

y The elephant has an excellent memory.
y The deer is a fast runner.

7. with superlatives and ordinal numbers. For example,
y He is one of the greatest Indian actors.

y I think she has the most beautiful voice.

y The third story in the book is very interesting.

8. with the names of mountain ranges, rivers, seas and oceans. For example,
the Alps, the Nile, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean.

9. names of some holy books, magazines and newspapers. For example,
the Bhagavad Gita, the Outlook, the Times of India

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