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© The scientific sentence. 2007


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Using THE


1. Using a:

Do not use a or an before uncountable nouns as: Bread, milk, information, advice, money, paper, news, furniture, hair, weather... We say a ... when there are many things and we have one of them.

2.Using THE:

We say:
  • The: When it is clear which thing or person we mean:
  • The top of, the end of, the same, the country, ....
  • The police, the fire department, the army
  • The musical instruments,
  • The radio, but television (turn off the TV)
  • Or for a second mention: A cat has eaten a mouse. The mouse had eaten some cheese.
Use The for:
  • Names of oceans, seals, rivers, canals
  • Names + of Example: ------- the university of Caracas.
  • North, south, east, west, middle (of)....
  • Islands, mountains (plural names) and: Example: ------- The Netherlands, The United States, The United Kingdom.

3. Do not use The for:

  • General ideas: Music, meat, life, water, exams, letters, games and sports, languages or academic subjects...
  • Name of places (continents, countries, provinces, states, islands, cities, towns...) But: The + republic, kingdom, states, union...
  • Streets, roads, avenues, squares...
  • Name of (person, place) + airport, station, university But The + names of hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums...
  • Dinner, breakfast, lunch

4.Don’t use the or a:

  • Go, get, arrive, come, walk, leave home. But to be, to stay home or at home.
  • Go to, get to, be at, start, finish work
  • Go to, be at, start, graduate from school
  • Go to; be in: prison, college, bed



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