If your reader or listener understands what you are referring to, then you will usually need the definite article: I bought a book last week. The book is about trees. (You have just mentioned the book, so you both know which one.) We went to a wedding yesterday. The bride wore a lovely dress. (You have not mentioned the bride before, but you both know she is connected to the wedding.) Some things are taken to be common knowledge in English and therefore take the definite article: Decades – He was born in the 1920s. Currencies –The dollar is getting stronger against the pound. Superlatives and ordinals – The second book in the series is the best. Oceans, seas and many rivers –The Nile flows into the Mediterranean. Plural or ‘united’ countries – The Maldives are much smaller than the United States of America. Adjectives used as nouns – The poor will always be a challenge for the rich in any country. Many organisations –The World Health Organization has a detailed definition of health. A scientific categorisation – The zebra is native to Africa. A symbol – The Merlion is a symbol of Singapore. Unique people, places or things – The prime minister said she would call a conference on changes affecting the earth’s climate. 3 Unique adjectives – The same people always take the only parking spaces available.

Last modified: Sunday, 12 February 2023, 12:55 AM