Questions tagged [definite-article]
For questions about "The", the only definite article used in English.
116
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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What's the difference between "much the more" and "much more"?
for example:
(1) X is much the more common than Y.
I don't understand the role of "the" here.
What does "the" mean in (1)?
(2) X is much more common than Y.
What's the difference ...
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2
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114
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Would you use "the" in "(the) division of opinions"?
The division of opinions among political parties is good for democracy in new nations.
Division of opinions among political parties is good for democracy in new nations.
I don't know if "the&...
user167211
2
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2
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260
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It's the time to do
Many people say 'It's the time to do' is unidiomatic. They say it's always 'It's time to do.'
It's time to go home.
It's time to start the work.
It's time to go.
Even in a situation where 'going' ...
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2
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1
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Question on generic noun phrase
I was looking at the definition of definite article and it reads like this - "The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular".
Since this ...
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2
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Using "the" with "return of someone/something"
I am completely baffled by the English language when it comes to the article "the" and "return of someone" or "return of something".
Here is a list of some movie titles I ...
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2
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5
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Are articles needed in "sift signal from noise"? Is it the right word order?
I have 2 related questions.
What is the correct expression in English? Is it with "the" or without it? In my research I have found roughly the same instances of both. If both are ok and ...
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2
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1
answer
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"calotype, invented by an (the) Englishman William Henry Fox Talbot" - which article to use?
I'm uncertain which article to use in the following examples:
calotype, invented by an/the Englishman William Henry Fox Talbot
paper, written by a/the Scottish professor John Dudgeon
a studio ...
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2
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1
answer
790
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Why is there no (definite) article before "unity" in the mathematical sense?
Example:
x is equal to unity
("unity" has to do with a "unit", i.e. 1, not "the state of being joined together or in agreement".)
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1
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Is the definite article needed here?
I'm trying to improve by ability to recognize instances when the inclusion of the word 'that', prepositions, definite articles, etc. are technically right, but unnecessary.
Do I need to use 'the' in ...
Danielle
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Definite article vs. no article in front of plant names used generically
There's a rule that when we use a noun generically, we either put the definite article in front of it or use the plural form:
The tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.
Tigers are in danger ...
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2
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1
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A/the fear of something
What is the reason for using a and the in the following sentences (taken from Wikipedia):
The fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children...
A fear of falling, along with a fear of ...
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1
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2
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92
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Articles with uncountable nouns
I can't understand the use of the definite article with the word "hardware". For example, a lecture in my computer science course reads:
Software is the general category of code which runs ...
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1
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1
answer
50
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Does removing the definite article in "The Association between Economic Status and…” matter?
The Association between Economic Status and Depressive Symptoms: An Individual and Community Level Approach
I know that "the" implies a particular association that is between "economic ...
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0
answers
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When do you say skin and when the skin?
According to my American friend, "you can have glowing skin" but "cream makes the skin softer" and "smth penetrates into the skin".
Is there some rule I can use to ...
1
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0
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The PUM project vs PUM project
I got stuck with the one very classic problems of English - articles. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty decent and English and mostly use them automatically in the proper position (I hope so).
However, ...
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1
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Do you usually add "the" in front of things like history, culture and society?
Japanese history
the Japanese history
Japanese society
the Japanese society
Japanese culture
the Japanese culture
Which ones do you think are commoner? Any difference in meaning?
If one is ...
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0
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What's the difference in meaning between these two sentences?
• We'll taste the dishes of different restaurants there.
• We'll taste dishes of different restaurants there.
Are they both grammatically correct? And if they are, what's the difference in meaning ...
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1
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0
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Why is "the pharmacy" supposed to be appropriate in the context? What about "a pharmacy", "pharmacies", or "pharmacy"?
I've been studying English for many years, but still struggling with learning the usage of English articles. Below is one example.
From a news article I read on this site.
How some drugs can turn ...
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0
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"Notify authorities" Or "Notify the authorities"?
Could you tell me if I have to use 'the' before 'authorities' in the following context?
If you suspect that something illegal is going on, you are supposed to notify (the) authorities right away.
...
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1
vote
2
answers
231
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Definite article vs zero article
I have problems with definite and zero articles in the following sentences:
"I met a man you were talking about over THE telephone yesterday."
"The wounded were examined by THE doctor ...
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0
answers
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Article before "possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine"
I am having a bit of hard time pondering over why there is not an article before "Possible who pre-qualification of the vaccine" in the following sentence:
We are in close contact with ...
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0
answers
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"safety concerns related to switching of the drug product to OTC status" - do I need "the" before "OTC"?
safety concerns related to switching of the drug product to the Over-the-Counter status.
Do I need the before "Over-the-Counter", or is it the same as with the word form, which is used without the ...
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0
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Is it correct that the book ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' has a definite article because the author is referring to specific adventures and not because the sentence has a structure with 'OF' [...
1
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0
answers
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Can definite and indefinite articles be used interchangeably?
I was going to say:
Pronouns and/or be/have/do are occasionally omitted in spoken English at the beginning of the sentence.
But then I thought, I don't have any particular sentence in mind here. ...
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vote
1
answer
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said as an adjective with or without the definite article
The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary gives the following examples of "said":
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/said
The following is a description of how said property [=the property ...
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148
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You know how to turn on (the) printer(s)!
You know how to turn on (the) printer(s)!
A child has turned on a computer and you are making a mark. It is the printer, but you are not limiting your meaning to this occasion and you mean printers ...
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2
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560
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Should "the" or no article be used in "is ___ principal of this school"?
Q. Mrs. Kanwal is ............ principal of this school.
(1) no article
(2) a
(3) an
(4) the
Some people say that there should be "no article" before the noun "principal". They ...
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vote
1
answer
44
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"Letter 'y'," "a letter 'y'" or "the letter 'y'" in context
Can you please tell which one is correct: letter "y," a letter "y," or the letter "y" in the context below?
If you agree with the statements, just put letter "y&...
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1
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1
answer
40
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Regarding the dropping of the article "the" in this context
In this answer to a physics question, the responder said,
"The current J in a material is a combination of conduction current and displacement current".
Is it permissible to drop the in the above ...
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1
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1
answer
301
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Do I use definite/indefinite articles properly in this example?
I have so many problems to find the proper usage of defnite vs indefinite articles. Could you please see the example below and tell me if I made a mistake, and what is the proper general rule/ why the ...
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1
answer
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Does "kindly do the reimbursement" need an article?
I am writing a reimbursement letter:
I booked train ticket for Dr.David journey on 19.Apr.2016 and the ticket is attached for your kind perusal.
I request you to kindly do the reimbursement ...
1
vote
1
answer
51
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Why was a "the" used in this case?
So there was this question on a facebook group I am in "Would you date me?" and one of the answers was: "No I am into the ladies" and it was from a native speaker and made me quite ...
user136345
1
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1
answer
51
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Why is there no definite article before the noun "language"? "Do you know what language is spoken in Mexico?"
How would you explain why there is no definite article before the noun "language"?
Examples to compare the pattern with:
Do you know what the capital of Peru is?
Do you know what the ...
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2
answers
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Why is there the definitive article in: "on the grass" but not in "smoke cigarettes"?
Recently I found this sentence in Oscar Wilde's essay "The Decay of Lying":
Let us go and lie on the grass and smoke cigarettes and enjoy nature.
Why there is a the before the word grass but not a ...
Liu Kin Ning
1
vote
1
answer
177
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"the human psychology" or "human psychology"?
I want to know why we cannot use the former. I have been told that only the latter is correct but I want a more definite explanation of this. Why is it that we can say "the human mind", "the human ...
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0
answers
39
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What article (if any) to use with the word 'subculture'?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word 'subculture' is countable, which means it should be used with an article. However, I often see it used without any. For example:
Much of the available ...
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0
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Usage of Articles in Relative clauses
1. Tom is talking to a woman. Do you know her?
2. Do you know the woman Tom is talking to?
3. The man I was sitting next to on the plane talked all the time.
In the first sentence, we used 'a woman', ...
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0
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36
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Can I put the article 'the' before a proper noun which also has common noun after it?
Can a proper noun (Oxford University) take the if it is followed by a common noun (journal), like in the following sentence?
We can get more data in the Oxford University journal.
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0
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170
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Is it Tate or the Tate, Tate Britatin/Modern or the Tate Britain/Modern?
This is really confusing, as event on the museum's website, there are different examples, such as in this article:
...the gallery at Millbank, now known as Tate Britain, was built and
opened in 1897. ...
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0
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Articles with art collectives' names
I'm reading a book on art where the author mentions many art collectives and I can't understand why he uses articles with some but not with others, especially when there is no preceeding noun (e.g. ...
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1
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What does "the" specify in the given sentence?
Sentence - "The" healthy food is important for people.
What does "the" specify? Does it specify a particular food which is healthy as "food" is the head noun. If it ...
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1
answer
51
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Can I write about a noun for which I have used "the" later in the text?
If I am writing this for the first time in an article -
The associations between factor A and factor B were found to be normal.
Now, I had not discussed any thing about the type of associations that ...
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1
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40
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The article 'the' in "She gained (the) ascendancy in the debate."
She gained the ascendancy in the debate.
vs.
She gained ascendancy in the debate.
What is more common in both the usages? Is there any difference?
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`the` or no article?
"dialogue" is an abstract thing. So, should we say
"End of the dialogue."
Or
"End of dialogue."
?
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Is "the" article needed to fill a gap in a sentence "Martha writes ... of all" (best / the best)?
I've come across a test question recently, asking to fill a gap:
"John writes well. Jack writes better than John. Martha writes ... of all." (best / the best).
Is it correct/acceptable to ...
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0
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A dog that was running about the streets of a little town was brown
A dog that was running about the streets of a little town was
brown.
Is it mandatory to use "the"? Would this be correct?
A dog that was running about streets of a little town was
brown.
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the wife/the husband/the children - your wife/your husband/your children
There is this entry in a dictionary:
often facetious or derogatory my; our: the wife goes out on Thursdays
Instead of "my wife", "the wife" is used. Is it really facetious or ...
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2
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Comparative usage of the definite article "the"
I've heard from native speakers that the definite article "the" is needed in the first sentence below but not the second one:
Genetic testing predicted all the markings of my cat correctly.
...
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Should I use an article before words when I refer to them as linguistic units (especially if explicitly using the word 'word' and others)?
Here are some examples:
(The) word 'case' can mean different things.
(The) term 'total
artwork' is a calque of (the) German 'Gesamtkunstwerk.'
(The) letter
'U' here needs to be written with two dots, ...
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0
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559
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"the next" vs "next"
I would like to find out if there is any difference between "the next" and "next" when "next" is either an adverb (as written in some dictionaries) or a pronoun (as ...
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