Page 27 - Speak En Around Twon_Neat

4) Use "a/an" to describe a person in a general sense (if you don't
know who the person is or if his or her individual identity is not
important).
Examples:

• A woman came to the door while you were at the store. (Who?
What woman? W e don't know).
• I'm dating a lawyer.

When to use the article "the":

1) Use "the" when referring to something particular, specific, or
unique.
Examples:

• The moon is bright tonight.
• The plane ride to France will take _about 8 hours.
• The White House is a must-see if you visit Washington, D.C.

2) U�e "the" when your listener knows which person, place, or

thing you're referring to.
Examples:

• Please open the windo�. (Your listener knows which window
- perhaps because you 're pointing to it or because it's the only
window in the room).
• The radio is still on. (Your listener knows which radio).

• What happened to the lawyer you were dating? (You're referring
to a specific lawyer - someone you've already been told about).

When to use "the" and when to use no article:

1) Do not use "the" when talking about generalizations with plural

or non-count nouns ( for more on non-count nouns, see Lesson 17).
Examples:
• I like coffee in the mornings. (NOT: the coffee)

• Russian is a difficult language. (NOT: the Russian)
• Creativity is hard to teach. (NOT: the creativity)
• Pandas are popular animals. (NOT: the pandas)

Note: When the noun is singular and you're talking about general­
izations, you will often use "the." Example: The panda is a much
studied animal.

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