The Use of the Definite Article with Class Nouns

The definite article is used both with singular and plural nouns. It has the specifying meaning and the generic meaning.

In the specifying meaning the definite article denotes that the following noun refers to a particular object (thing, person) or particular objects as distinct from all others of the same class:

Nothing was natural in the room except the plants.

The definite article is used in the generic meaning when reference is made to a class of objects as a whole:

The tiger is dangerous.

The cat is a domestic animal.

Class nouns are used with the definite article:

1. When the speaker mentions a noun for the second time:

For lunch I had a sandwich and an apple.The sandwich wasn’t very nice.

If it is clear what item the speaker is referring back to, he normally uses a pronoun:

I have bought a book.It cost $2.50.

He can also use another, more general noun:

There was an enormous cat crouching on the counter… The animal looked up at Mrs. Bixby.

Angelica took the shell in both her hands and we peered at the thing.

Sometimes, however, the noun with definite article should be repeated:

· when the first mention occurred a long time before and a pronoun or noun would not make a connection with it:

But then I came on a man playing a harp. It was a black harp… and the man was dressed as a gorilla!

· when the speaker is referring to one of two different people or things that have just been mentioned together:

Suddenly Marsha heard what sounded like a fight between a man and a woman. She tensed, prepared to call for help, till she realized that the woman seemed to be getting the better of it.

· when the speaker wants to add something to the noun:

The full development of an idea may well take years of hard work but the idea itself may arrive in a flash of insight.

· as a way of avoiding repeating a pronoun too often:

Lyn lived with her husband in a house that they had bought for a song in nearby Seyer Street. The house was cheap partly because it was falling down.

2. When the speaker and the hearer know what particular object is meant. No special indication is necessary:

What do you think of the table? (= the table we are looking at)

How did you like the play?

I have got the magazine.

Note. It should be borne in mind that, there is a difference between knowing what object is spoken about and knowing the object itself:

I. - I do not care to speak to the girl. I have never seen her.

- Won't you speak to her?

- But I do not know the girl either.

II. - Who told you about it?

- A girl.

- What girl?

- My sister.

In the first dialogue the speaker and the hearer do not know the per­son at all, but they know whom they mean, so the definite article is used. In the second the speaker knows the person, but he presents her to the hearer merely as one of a class, so the indefinite article is used.

3. When the speaker uses an attribute pointing out a particular object:

This is the house that Jack built.

4. When the situation itself makes the object definite and when the speaker wants to talk about something that is associated with an earlier item (even though he hasn’t mentioned it before) just to show that there is a relationship or association between the items:

The wedding looked dismal. The bride was too old and the bride­groom was too young.

I went to the window again to try to smash the glass. (the glass in the window)

He needed a whisky, but the bottle was empty. (the bottle containing the whisky)

5. When the noun denotes the object or group of objects, which is unique or considered to be unique.

Here are some words, which belong to this group:

the devil the earth the equator the moon

the north pole the planets the pope the sky

the solar system the south pole the stars the sun

the universe the world

The sun was getting warmer.

The indefinite article can be used when we mean a certain as­pect in which the sun, moon and sky appear to us, a certain state of the sun, the moon, the sky. In this case an attribute is used:

A pearl-white moon smiles through the green trees.

6. With nouns used in a generic sense. A noun used in a generic sense denotes a genus taken as a whole, a thing taken as a type, a genre. A noun becomes a composite image (збірний образ) of the class and is used to talk about the general features and characteristics of a class of things:

The tiger has always had the reputation of being a man-eater.

The telephone was invented in the 19th century.

The tragedy and the comedy first appeared in Greece.

Note. Groups of nouns which are used generically: names of animals, plants, professions and occupations, collective nouns denoting social groups, scientific terms, etc.:

The verb is a part of speech.

When the noun man is used in a generic sense no article is used:

Silas felt that his trust in man had been cruelly destroyed.

When the noun woman is used in a generic sense it is used with the definite article or occasionally without an article:

He had always been interested in that mysterious being — the woman.

Woman is man's helpmate.

The noun people is used with the definite article when the idea of collectivity is emphasized (meaning “all the persons forming a state”). When this noun means “persons, human beings in general” it has no article:

The Ukrainian people are fighting against nuclear danger.

People often believe in fairy tails.

The public is always used with the definite article but public opinion – set-phrase.

A noun used in a generic sense should not be confused with a noun used in a general sense:

The	1. The lion is a wild animal. 2. Conan Doyle is a master of the detective story.	The emphasizes the class itself, without regard for concrete representatives of the class.
A	1. A lion is a wild animal. 2. A detective story helps to while away the time.	Aemphasizes an individual representative of a class. It has the sense of any or every.
No article	1. Lions are wild animals. 2. Detective stories are very popular with people.	The plural form without an article emphasizes all the representatives of this class

7. When nouns are modified by adjectives in the superlative degree and by ordinal numerals:

Miss Tox had the softest voice that ever was heard.

8. With nouns in word-groups the first component of which is some, many, none, most, all, both, half, one-third (the fractions) and the second a noun with the prepo­sition of. Often, of the makes the situation specific:

Most of the students looked both angry and uncomfortable.

Note 1. With all, both, half the prepo­sition of may be omitted before article:

Both the girls were rosy-cheeked and plump like their mothers.

All the children in the room looked at Santa Claus.

“Half the people who want to learn to fly never come back for lesson number two,” Charlie said.

In general statements without modifiers after the nouns and in cases, when there is no desire to be specific, of the may be omitted:

All children like sweets.

Both men wore conservative business suits.

9. When nouns are modified by adjectives which are used to identify unique things:

They even use the same lawyers.

The next attack took place four hours later.

I began the last section of the book.

Here is a list of adjectives, which are used in this way:

following last main

next only opposite present

principal right same sole

ultimate usual wrong

This is not a rule, only a strong tendency; the indefinite article sometimes occurs with them (except with “next”, “following”, and “same”):

He paid a last visit to America.

The indefinite article can be used before “ only ” when it is used in the expressions “only child”, “only son”, and “only daughter”:

I was an only child.

Note 1. The definite article is used with “wrong” even when it does not make sense to talk about only one wrong possibility:

We are all in the wrong business.

In this case there is possibly more than one wrong business. However, there are some cases where the indefinite article is used:

We’ve taken a wrong turn

Note 2. “ Same ” often appears without a following noun:

The same is true for men.

Note 3. “ Next ” and “ last ” are commonly used in time expressions without the (for example, next week):

10. With substantivized adjectives and participles.

A combination of the definite article and substantivized adjective can be used to refer to all the people with that characteristic. “The poor” means people who are poor.

Many adjectives can be used in this way; here are some common ones:

aged blind brave dead deaf disabled

educated elderly free handicapped homeless hungry

injured living needy old oppressed poor

powerful rich sick starving strong uneducated

unemployed weak wealthy wounded young

Note. They behave like nouns in the plural and are followed by a plural verb:

The rich have not responded.

11. With collective nouns denoting social groups:

The workers have nothing to loose.

12. With nationality words when referring generically to nations or racial groups (suggesting the whole body of):

The Chinese have their own version of this proverb.

It seems to me that the British are too often their own worst critics.

But when not the whole body of but separate representative are meant the definite article is not used:

Italians are good singers.

Note. These words always begin with a capital letter; and they are followed by the plural form of a verb even if they do not look plural.

13. At the beginning of stories, in titles of stories and novels:

“The Enemy”, “The Letter”.

This is a stylistic device. The author indicates in this way that the reader will shortly be told more about these things.

14. Stressed “the” meaning “best”. People sometimes stress the definite article to indicate that something is the best or only thing of a particular kind:

Billiards is the game. or Billiards is the best game.

Practice

Exercise 1. Comment on the use of the definite article in the following sentences.

1. The arch of the sky was the darkest of blues. 2. She, believed people like Wilf to be the salt of the earth. 3. Ah, it's the other side of the coin, so to speak. 4. The cycle of life is endless, and it never changes. 5. The following day I passed the morning making phone calls. 6. Like all the best ideas, it's a simple one. 7. This is the most modern shopping centre in the world. 8. That's the key question. 9. The house was quiet. The stuff had gone to bed. 10. She'll be the second to answer. 11. We live on the seventh floor. 12. The kitchen was equipped with all the latest appliances. 13. I know this road like the back of my hand. 14. Don't forget that Monday is the deadline. 15. The story which you told me is very romantic. 16. Where are the children? — They are in the garden. 17. He gave the same answer. 18. The house I bought was very cheap. Moreover, the building looked great. 19. Help the aged! 20. The steam engine was a powerful instrument of human progress.

Exercise 2. Insert theappropriate articles where necessary.

1. ____ door is locked. 2. Have you ____ telephone? 3. ____ telephone is out of order. 4. It is dark on ____ landing. 5. Do you like ____ dogs? 6. Don’t tease ____ dog. 7. Never try to stroke ____ dog if you don’t know it. 8. ____ fountain-pen won’t write. 9. Have you got ____ fountain-pens on sale? 10. Where can I have ____ coat made to order? 11. Where did you have ____ coat made? 12. In this store they always have a wide choice in ____ coats and suits. 13. ____ suits are ready-made. 14. Where is ____ key? 15. How many flats are there in ____ house? 16. How much are ____ dinner-sets? How many articles are there in ____ set? 17. How much are ____ dinner-sets now?

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences below putting the article in each space, together with a noun that is associated with the noun which is underlined.

1. We went into shops which had absolutely nothing on ______.

2. You shouldn’t ask a question if you already know ______.

3. I’ve never taught a class where ______ are so lazy.

4. It was a lovely house but ______ were too steep for old people.

5. In a test ______ should not be too difficult or too easy.

6. It’s a newspaper where ______ aren’t covered with pictures.

7. I’m not surprised you can’t walk in those shoes. ______ are much too high.

8. Before you go on a long journey in you car, check to make sure______ have enough air in them.

9. I bought the radio in a sale ______ had been slashed by 50%.

10. What’s the point in buying an expensive television if ______ isn’t clear?

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences below by putting the most appropriate of these adjectives together with the article.

blind deaf

healthy homeless

hungry lame

poor rich

uneducated unemployed

1. ________ are people who have no job.

2. ________ are people who are not sick.

3. ________ are people who have difficulty walking.

4. ________ are people who have a lot of money.

5. ________ are people who cannot see.

6. ________ are people who have very little money.

7. ________ are people who cannot hear.

8. ________ are people who have not have an education

9. ________ are people who do not have enough food to eat.

10. ________ are people who have nowhere to live.

Exercise 5. Complete the story below by inserting “a’ or “the” in the spaces as required. The first has been done for you.

Once upon a time, there was (1) a cat and (2) _____ dog that lived in (3) _____ small house. One day (4) _____ cat said to (5) _____ dog, “This place is too small for us – we need (6) _____ bigger house.” (7) _____ dog agreed. “We could even have (8) _____ garden where I could bury my bones.” “Well I’m not sure (9) _____ garden is a good idea,” said (10) _____ cat. “Who would cut the grass?” “We could employ (11) _____ cat to do it,” said (12) _____ dog. “Why not (13) _____ dog?” said (14) _____ cat. And so they never left (15) _____ small house because they couldn’t agree.

Exercise 6. In the following sentences, use “the” or “a”. Keep in mind that “a” refers to one unknown or unspecified person or thing.

1. She ran into _____ house and shut _____ door. 2. They are planning to buy _____ house some day. 3. We have to feed _____ dog and _____ cat before we leave. 4. The boy has always wanted to have _____ dog and _____ cat. 5. This apartment has _____ bedroom, _____ living-room, and _____ kitchen. 6. While he was in _____ park, he saw_____ man walking with _____ dog. 7. Everyone in _____ neighborhood was sorry to see them move. 8. They moved to _____ very quiet neighborhood. 9. _____ refrigerator like theirs is very expensive. 10. He’s going to _____ grocery store to buy _____ loaf of bread. 11. _____ moon is _____ satellite of _____ earth. 12. The drugstore hired _____ new pharmacist. 13. _____ leaves are already falling off _____ trees and covering _____ ground. 14. They live in _____ very expensive home. 15. She has an appointment this week with _____ doctor and _____ dentist.

Exercise 7. Explain why the definite article is used with the italicised nouns which refer to the preceding (or following) statement or situation in the following extracts.

Gwendolen: I am engaged to Mr. Worthing, mamma.

Lady Bracknell: Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone. When you do become engaged to some one, I or your father will inform you of the fact.

Algernon: Relations are simply a tedious pack of people, who haven't got the remotest knowledge of how to live nor the smallest instinct about when to die.

Jack: Oh, that is nonsense.

Algernon: It isn't.

Jack: Well. I won't argue the matter.

Chasuble: But surely, Mr. Worthing, you have been christened already.

Jack: I don't remember anything about it.

Chasuble: But have you any grave doubts on the subject?

Jack: I certainly intend to have. Of course I don't know if the thing would bother you in any way, or if you think I am a little too old now.

Exercise 8. Insert articles in the following general statements. In some sentences, two choices are possible.

1. Because of ____ automobile, man has extended his horizons, but he has poisoned the atmosphere. 2. ____ automobile is a necessity today. 3. ____ refrigerator has enabled people to keep food fresh for a much longer time. 4. ____ vegetables are good for the health. 5. The world is getting smaller because of ____ airplane. 6. ____ wheel and ____ plow were very important inventions. 7. ____ supermarket sells not only ____ groceries, but also ____ household items, ____ liquor, ____ plants, ____ magazines, and ____ candy. 8. ____ newspaper is one of the most widespread media of communication. 9. ____ computer is doing much of the work that used to be done by ____ human beings. 10. ____ engineer must have a good knowledge of mathematics and physics. 11. ____ modern conveniences have been of great help in ____ home. 12. It has been proven that ____ cigarettes are bad for the health. 13. ____ eagle is a bird of prey. 14. ____ mountain is bigger and higher than ____ hill. 15. ____ kitchen can be a very suitable place to practice exercise.

Exercise 9. Complete the story below by inserting “a” or “the” in the spaces as required.

1. ____tiger is ____large carnivorous animal which belongs to ____ cat family. 2. ____ males are about three feet high and can be as long as twelve feet, including ____tail. 3. There are about eight varieties of tiger found around ____world. 4. ____tiger is ____wild animal, which lives in ____ jungle where water and prey are plentiful. 5. ____tiger will only attack ____ person if it is starving or if it is threatened. 6. ____ tiger is ____ easily recognized animal as it has ____ thick yellow or white coat with distinctive black stripes.

Exercise 10. Decide if the most appropriate articles “a” “an” and “the” are used in each of these texts.

1. Dan was playing outside in a street when he saw a red car go past driven by the teacher from his school.

2. A University has announced proposals to build a new library, to replace an existing one by the year 2005.

3. A: The car’s been stolen from outside a house!

B: Oh, no. I left my wallet and the camera in it.

4. I must buy the tin opener. I keep having to borrow one from a woman next door.

5. A: Jane bought a fridge and a washing machine for her house, but the washing machine wouldn’t go through a kitchen door so she had to send it back.

B: What did a shop say?

A: They offered to sell her a smaller one.

6. Now, when I start pushing a car, take your foot off the clutch. If it doesn’t start then, I’ll have to phone the garage.

7. We went out to the excellent restaurant last night. The food was delicious and the service was first class.

8. A: Where is a tea pot?

B: It’s in the cupboard on the right.

A: I thought you had a blue one.

B: Yes, but it broke so I had to get the new one.

9. A: I’ve no idea what to get Mark for his birthday.

B: What about a new jumper?

A: Well…it’s not very interesting present.

B: Why don’t you buy him a set of golf clubs he’s always wanted?

A: What a great idea.

10. Dr Pike has developed a way to teach musical theory. A method is designed for children over five.

11. A: Who is a woman in red?

B: She’s a journalist, I think. She works for a local newspaper.

12. Once, when I won the competition, I had to choose between a holiday in Disneyland and a Volvo. I chose a car, of course.

Exercise 11. Complete the sentences below, using the adjectives from the list; some have to be used more than once. Be careful – there is at least one sentence which requires “a” rather than “the”.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14