The definite article (the) is used before a noun to indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader. The indefinite article (a, an) is used before a noun that is general or when its identity is not known.
What are the uses of the?
“The” is typically used in accompaniment with any noun with a specific meaning, or a noun referring to a single thing. The important distinction is between countable and non-countable nouns: if the noun is something that can't be counted or something singular, then use “the”, if it can be counted, then us “a” or “an”.
Can we use the article the?
English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.
Why the article the is used?
The is used to describe a specific noun, whereas a/an is used to describe a more general noun. For this reason, the is also referred to as a definite article, and a/an is referred to as an indefinite article. The definite article, the, is used before both singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific.
When did the article the is used?
The definite article the is used when the referent of the noun phrase is assumed to be unique or known from the context. For example, In the sentence The boy with glasses was looking at the moon, it is assumed that in the context the reference can only be to one boy and one moon.
