Compare the indefinite and definite articles in the following examples:
Do not use the before:
Indefinite (a or an)
•
names of countries (Italy, Mexico, Bolivia) except
the Netherlands and the US
•
names of cities, towns, or states (Seoul, Manitoba,
Miami)
Definite (the)
names of streets (Washington Blvd., Main St.)
Singular
the dog (that specific
dog)
the apple (that specific
apple)
•
a dog (any dog)
an apple (any apple)
•
names of lakes and bays (Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie)
except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
the dogs (those specific
dogs)
the apples (those specific apples)
•
Plural
some dogs (any
dogs)
some apples (any
apples)
names of mountains (Mount Everest, Mount Fuji)
except with ranges of mountains like the Andes
or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
•
names of continents (Asia, Europe)
•
names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West)
except with island chains like the Aleutians, the
Hebrides, or the Canary Islands
The is not used with noncountable nouns referring to
something in a general sense:
[no article] Coffee is a popular drink.
[no article] Japanese was his native language.
[no article] Intelligence is difficult to quantify.
7
Do use the before:
8
I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? <...> Milk cannot be
counted)
•
names of rivers, oceans and seas (the Nile, the
Pacific)
•
points on the globe (the Equator, the North Pole)
•
geographical areas (the Middle East, the West)
I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? <...> Foliage cannot be counted)
•
deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas (the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula)
2. <...> Countable vs. Noncountable
A and an are used if the noun can be counted. <...> Therefore, use a.)
I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted)
I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted)
The must be used when the noun cannot be counted. <...> An awards ceremony at the Kremlin would not normally
have attracted so much attention. <...> They
move upwards hitting 13. mainland of America somewhere in
14. <...> Most people who live near the coast are forced to evacuate their homes and to move <...>