I
adverb
See WHERE 1 (↑ where )
II
determiner
1
BAD : She is arriving on March the 25th.
GOOD : She is arriving on March 25th.
◆◆◆
When you say the date, use 'March the twenty-fifth' or 'the twenty-fifth of March'.
When you write the date, use 'March 25th' or '25th March' (WITHOUT the and of ).
2
BAD : Very few people can speak the English well in Japan.
GOOD : Very few people can speak English well in Japan.
◆◆◆
speak/learn/know etc + name of a language (WITHOUT the ): 'She speaks fluent German.' 'Do you know any Malay?' 'I'd like to learn Mandarin.'
Note that the + English/Japanese etc + language may be used when you talk about a language in terms of its history, structure, users etc: 'The English language has evolved over many centuries.'
3
BAD : I have just seen a new magazine about the computers.
GOOD : I have just seen a new magazine about computers.
◆◆◆
Do not use the with the plural form of a countable noun when it is used in a general sense. Compare: 'She likes cats.' (= cats in general) 'The cats we saw in Venice looked very hungry.' (= a particular group of cats)
4
BAD : A lot of people are afraid of the death.
GOOD : A lot of people are afraid of death.
BAD : Nowadays the pollution is a very serious problem.
GOOD : Nowadays pollution is a very serious problem.
BAD : My main hobby is the photography.
GOOD : My main hobby is photography.
◆◆◆
Do not use the with an uncountable noun when it is used in a general sense: 'She hates dishonesty.' 'Power doesn't interest him.'
The is used when the sense is restricted: 'She hates the dishonesty of the man.' 'The power enjoyed by politicians doesn't interest him.'
5
BAD : Diseases such as the AIDS and the cancer cause a lot of suffering.
GOOD : Diseases such as AIDS and cancer cause a lot of suffering.
◆◆◆
Do not use the before the name of a disease: 'He caught pneumonia and had to spend three weeks in bed.'
6
BAD : Our plane arrived at the Gatwick Airport.
GOOD : Our plane arrived at Gatwick Airport.
◆◆◆
Do not use the before the names of airports and railway stations: 'Charles de Gaulle (Airport)', 'Narita (Airport)', 'Charing Cross (Station)'
7
BAD : The language school is in the Malibu Street.
GOOD : The language school is in Malibu Street.
◆◆◆
The is not usually used in the names of streets and roads: 'Oxford Street', 'Fifth Avenue', 'Fir Tree Avenue', 'Blue Pool Road'.
Note that when someone mentions 'the Oxford road' or 'the London road', they mean the road that leads to Oxford/London.
8
BAD : Climbing the Mount Fuji in winter can be very dangerous.
GOOD : Climbing Mount Fuji in winter can be very dangerous.
◆◆◆
Do not use the with the name of a mountain: 'Mount Everest', 'Mount Fuji', 'Mount Olympus'. Note, however, that the is used with the names of groups of mountains: 'the Alps', 'the Andes', 'the Himalayas'.
9
BAD : They were both found guilty and sent to the prison.
GOOD : They were both found guilty and sent to prison.
◆◆◆
See note at SCHOOL 1 (↑ school )
10
BAD : Yellow River has caused many terrible floods.
GOOD : The Yellow River has caused many terrible floods.
◆◆◆
Always use the with the names of canals, rivers, seas and oceans:: 'the Suez Canal', 'the Ganges', 'the River Thames', 'the Atlantic Ocean', 'the Mediterranean Sea'
11
BAD : It is more than ten years since I visited West Indies.
GOOD : It is more than ten years since I visited the West Indies.
◆◆◆
Most plural names begin with the : 'the Bahamas', 'the Himalayas', 'the United States', 'the Philippines'.
12
BAD : This is my second visit to UK.
GOOD : This is my second visit to the UK.
◆◆◆
Use the with any country whose name includes 'state', 'union', 'republic', 'kingdom' etc: 'the UK', 'the United Kingdom', 'the USA', 'the United States', 'the People's Republic of China'.
13
BAD : Only very wealthy tourists can afford to stay at Imperial Hotel.
GOOD : Only very wealthy tourists can afford to stay at the Imperial Hotel.
◆◆◆
The names of hotels and restaurants usually begin with the : 'the Hilton', 'the Mandarin', 'the Sheraton'.
Note that names which have a possessive form are exceptions: 'Claridge's', 'Salvo's', 'Tiffany's'
14
BAD : This system was brought to Hong Kong by British.
GOOD : This system was brought to Hong Kong by the British.
◆◆◆
To refer to the people of a country, use the + adjective: 'the British', 'the French', 'the Portuguese', 'the Swiss'.
15
BAD : The hotel is not suitable for disabled.
GOOD : The hotel is not suitable for the disabled.
◆◆◆
the poor, the sick, the deaf, the disabled, etc = all people who are poor/sick/deaf/disabled: 'The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.' 'She devoted her life to looking after the sick.'
16
See NATURE (↑ nature )