The - Shared Knowledge
Knowing "which one"
5) Both See or Know Which One
| UNKNOWN – A |
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Use a to introduce the noun. |
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| KNOWN BECAUSE BOTH SEE OR KNOW IT – THE |
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Use the to refer to a noun that both see or know from context or experience. |
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Where does
The
A Unique One
6) It is Unique – there is only one
| UNKNOWN – A |
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Use a if the item iis one of many. |
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| NOT UNIQUE |
a moon (Jupiter has more than one) |
a sun (in another solar system) |
a planet |
a mother's son / daughter |
a kitchen |
a god |
a right leg (horse, spider, centipede) |
a lie (There are many.) |
a bee (There are many.) |
| KNOWN BECAUSE IT IS UNIQUE – THE |
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Use the if the item is one of a kind. Both speaker and listener know which one it is. |
The last piece. |
| UNIQUE |
the moon (earth's) |
the sun (our solar system) |
the earth (the world) |
the boy's mother |
the kitchen of the house |
the god (God) / |
the right leg (human) |
the truth (There is one.) |
the queen bee (There is one per colony or hive.) |
the gods – usually refers to those of Greek mythology or those within a particular culture (Mayan, Indian, etc.).
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. |
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2) by another name (synonym) |
This is a puzzle piece. The parts are rather small. (a piece = a part) |
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3) as an expected part of a larger item |
This is a puzzle. The pieces are inside the box. |
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4) by a phrase or clause after it |
The part on top is here. / The part that I am holding is a corner. |
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5) by both knowing or seeing it |
Hand me the piece. (We both know or see which one.) |
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6) by its uniqueness (It is the only one.) |
Hand me the last piece. |
Practice 1
A Unique One
Decide whether the item exists as the only one.
- 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 Being Unique
Decide whether the item exists as the only one, as in the following example.
| UNIDENTIFIED | IDENTIFIED BY UNIQUENESS |
|---|---|
A wife of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was visiting the University of Oxford. (He has four.) |
The wife of King Gustaf of Sweden was visiting the University of Oxford. (He has one, Silvia.) |
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.