The – Later Mention
Identified by information after the noun
4) Identified by Information After the Noun
| FIRST MENTION – A |
|---|
The first time a noun is mentioned, use a. |
Give me a puzzle piece. informal request |
| KNOWN BECAUSE OF LATER MENTION – THE |
|---|
After mentioning a noun, you can refer to its parts with the. |
Which one? The piece over there. identified by an adverbial phrase The piece inside the box. identified by a prepositional phrase The piece that you are holding. identified by a clause The piece that is upside down. identified by a clause The piece you see there. identified by a clause The piece with the black center. identified by a prepositional phrase |
The
Summary
Summary for Using The
| LINK | MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION | CONTEXTUAL EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
Page focus |
The noun is identified by: |
The is used as part of a larger context or understanding. |
1) by earlier, second mention |
This is a puzzle piece. The piece fits into a puzzle. |
|
2) by another name (synonym) |
This is a puzzle piece. The parts are rather small. (a piece = a part) |
|
3) as an expected part of a larger item |
This is a puzzle. The pieces are inside the box. |
|
|
4) by a phrase or clause after it |
The part on top is here. / The part that I am holding is a corner. |
5) by both knowing or seeing it |
Hand me the piece. (We both know / see which one.) |
|
6) by its uniqueness (It is the only one.) |
Hand me the last piece. |
Practice 1
Identified by name
Decide which article to use with each identified or unidentified noun.
| UNIDENTIFIED | IDENTIFIED BY NAME |
|---|---|
A state with a lot of natural resources has great wealth. |
The state with a lot of natural resources, California, has great wealth. |
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Identified by phrase or clause
Identified or not?
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 3
Identified by phrase or clause
| AN IDENTIFYING CLAUSE | A NONIDENTIFYING CLAUSE |
|---|---|
TRUE FOR ONE – The clause "next to mars" identifies it as Mar's moon, and potato-shaped identifies it as Phobos. |
TRUE FOR ANY– The clause "which is beautiful to see" is true of any moon on Uranus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, etc. |
The moon next to Mars looks like an old potato. (No commas are used.) |
A moon, which is beautiful to see, is cold and desolate. (Commas are necessary.) |
Is it true for one planet (identified) or true for any planet (not identified)?
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.