Grammar
The: when to use the definite article
I bought a lamp yesterday. The lamp is beside the sofa. The second sentence tells us which lamp the speaker means.
Use the before a noun that is known, specific, unique in the shared situation, or identified by extra information.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The email from Noor is on the desk. /ðiː ˈiːmeɪl frəm nʊr ɪz ɑn ðə desk/
The short answer
Use the for a known or specific noun. The listener can identify it from earlier information, the shared situation, or a description that names which one.
Could you close the window beside you?
Why it works: Beside you identifies one particular window.
5 more examples
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I bought a lamp yesterday. The lamp is beside the sofa.
The second sentence refers to the same lamp that was mentioned first.
Not this:
The lampbeside the sofa needs a new bulb. What changes: Beside the sofa identifies which lamp the speaker means. -
Please put the report on my desk.
The speaker and listener know which report is relevant in their shared situation.
Not this:
The reportfrom Noor is on my desk. What changes: From Noor identifies one particular report. -
The moon looks bright tonight.
Moon refers to the one that people normally share in this context.
Not this:
The first trainleaves at seven. What changes: First identifies one train in an ordered group. -
We waited outside the library on Oak Street.
On Oak Street identifies a particular library building.
Not this:
The hotelnear the station is full. What changes: Near the station identifies one hotel. -
I need the information in your email.
Information is uncountable, but in your email makes it specific.
Not this:
The studentsin our class are ready. What changes: In our class identifies a particular plural group.
Read the full guide
Ask a simple question before you use the: can the listener work out which one I mean? If the answer is yes, the is often the right choice. The listener may know the noun because you have already mentioned it, because you are both in the same place, or because the rest of the noun phrase identifies it.
Use the for something already mentioned
Use the when you refer again to a person or thing that you have already named. The listener can connect the later noun with the earlier one.
I saw a movie last night. The movie was funny.
The movie means the same movie from the first sentence.
Choose the article for the second mention: I found a key. ___ key was under the table.
Use the: The key was under the table.
Use the when the situation makes the noun clear
Sometimes you do not need an earlier sentence. The place or activity can make one noun clear to both people. At a shared table, the salt can mean the salt on that table.
Could you pass the salt?
The people at the table can identify the salt that the speaker means.
Please turn off the computer before you leave.
The shared work situation identifies the computer that should be turned off.
At a café, which article fits Could I have ___ menu, please?
Use the when the speaker means the menu for that table or café.
Use the for a noun made specific by a phrase
Words after a noun can identify it. A prepositional phrase or a relative clause can tell the listener exactly which person, thing, or place you mean.
The bag on the chair is mine.
On the chair identifies one bag.
The person who called earlier left a message.
Who called earlier identifies one particular person.
Complete the sentence: ___ bus to the airport stops here.
Use the: The bus to the airport stops here. The phrase identifies which bus.
Use the for shared unique things and clear positions
Use the for things that are unique in the context people share. It also appears with words that identify one position in a group, such as first, last, or only.
The sun is low in the sky.
Sun is unique in the everyday shared context of this sentence.
She was the first person to arrive.
First identifies one position in the group of people who arrived.
Which article fits ___ only exit is behind the reception desk?
Use the: The only exit is behind the reception desk. Only identifies one exit.
Use the for a particular place or institution
Use the when you mean a particular building, organization, or location. Extra words can identify the place, but the situation can also make the intended place clear. Learn other place patterns in the lesson on no article.
We met at the bank on Main Street.
On Main Street identifies the particular bank.
The receptionist works at the hospital near our office.
Near our office identifies one hospital.
Complete the sentence: We will meet at ___ school after the concert.
Use the when both people know the particular school building or school location.
Check the meaning before adding the
Do not use the only because a noun is important or because it appears in a sentence. Use it when the noun is identifiable. The lessons on a and an and on no article explain the other choices in more detail.
The office where I work is downtown.
Where I work identifies one office.
The water in this glass is warm.
In this glass identifies particular water.
Ask this before choosing the: can my listener identify which noun I mean?
If the answer is yes, the may be the right article. Then check the full noun phrase and context.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the when your listener can identify the noun. Look for an earlier mention, a shared situation, a phrase that says which one, or something unique in the context. For a and an, or for nouns with no article, use the separate lessons on those choices.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "The: when to use the definite article"
When do I use the in English?
Use the when the listener can identify the noun you mean. The noun may be known from an earlier sentence, clear in the shared situation, or identified by words after it. The bag on the chair is mine names one particular bag.
I bought a lamp yesterday. The lamp is beside the sofa.
Can I use the after I mention something?
Yes. A later reference often uses the because the listener already knows which noun you mean. In I saw a movie last night. The movie was funny, the second sentence refers to the movie from the first sentence.
The lamp beside the sofa needs a new bulb.
Why do we say the sun and the moon?
Use the for things that are unique in the everyday context people share. The sun is low in the sky and The moon looks bright tonight refer to the familiar sun and moon, not to an unspecified one.
Please put the report on my desk.
Can a phrase after a noun make it specific?
Yes. A phrase can tell the listener which noun you mean. The bus to the airport identifies one route, and the person who called earlier identifies one person. The extra information makes the reference clear.
The report from Noor is on my desk.
Do places and institutions use the?
Use the when you mean a particular place, building, or organization that the listener can identify. We waited outside the library on Oak Street names one library. Other place patterns can use different article choices, so learn them in their own lessons.
The moon looks bright tonight.