the definite article: the
use
- nouns (both singular and plural) with a specific meaning or previously mentioned - example: i saw the cat in the garden.
- … - example: the moon, the white house.
- categories of people where an adjective is used as a plural noun - example: the rich live differently.
- singular nouns when they represent a class of things / animals - example: the elephant is a large mammal.
- nationalities, categories and groups of people or a family - example: the french are known for their cuisine.
- rivers, seas, oceans, canals, mountain ranges, island groups, deserts, countries with plural names and those containing the words kingdom or republic - example: the amazon, the pacific ocean, the alps, the united states.
- … with the verb … - example: chris martin plays the guitar.
- … - example: the guardian.
- decades - example: the 1980s was a time of great change.
- … - example: this is the best way to save energy.
zero article: the
use
- plural and uncountable / abstract nouns - example: dogs are loyal animals.
- … and most … - example: hamish comes from edinburgh.
- days of the week, festivities, years, months, expressions of time - example: monday is the start of the workweek.
- names of meals, materials, colours, sports, school subjects, languages - example: i study math and english.
- c… , s… , u… , court, prison, bed, home, church, h… when referring to their function and not the physical place, and w… - example: sue was in hospital for a week.
- lakes, single … and …, … and countries - example: lake garda, mont blanc, sicily, beijing, spain.
- means of transport - example: i take the bus to work.
- mankind, m… , w… , l… and s… when used with a general meaning - example: why does society need rules?
- … - example: my new car is brown. what about yours?