PARTICULAR/SPECIFIC VS GENERAL USE OF "THE"

Particular/specific 
I’ve been to the doctor. (= my doctor)

Could you pass me the salt. (= the salt that is on the table)

Have you fed the dogs? (= our dogs)

They’re delivering the oil tomorrow.
(= specific oil; the oile we ordered)

Did you lock the car? (= our car)


Sarah has gone to the bank/post office. (= the bank/post office near her home)

Move the books off the chair and sit down. (= the books that are on the chair)

I’m studying the life of Beethoven.

Why has the light gone out? (= the light in this room)

the music of the sixties
the history I did at school
the poverty they grew up in
General
A doctor must like people. (= any doctor)

We need more salt. (= salt as a substance)


Do you like dogs? (= dogs in general)

Oil has nearly doubled in price recently.
(= oil in general)

We rented a car to go to Scotland.
(= a random car)

Is here a bank/post -office near here?
(= any bank/post-office)

Books are expensive. (= books in general)


Life is difficult.

Nothing can travel faster than light.


sixties’ music
eighteenth-century history
poverty in Britain
Exercise 6
Artices "The" and "Zero" (as a means of generalisation)

Artices "The" and "Zero" (as a means of generalisation)

Gap-fill exercise

Supply the or X.
Use the zero article:
1. in front of plural countable nouns in general statements.
Women need better pay. Cats don’t like cold weather. Beans are good for you. Museums are closed on Mondays. Trees don’t grow in the Antarctic. Watches aren’t expensive.
2. in front of uncountable nouns in general statements.
I like butter. Red is my favourite colour. Life is short. Oil is produced in Alaska. Swimming is good for you. English is a world language.
3. in front of most proper nouns.
Fritz Weber lives in Berlin. This was made by Jackson and Son.
By comparison, use the when the reference is specific:
1. In front of plural countable nouns – The beans I like the best are kidney beans.
2. In front of uncountable nouns – I used all the butter that was in the butter dish.
3. In front of proper nouns – The Fritz Weber I know lives in Vienna.
1. A lot of people are giving up meat.
2. meat we had for lunch last Sunday was very tough.
3. As someone said, life is just one damned thing after another.
4. I do not know much about life of Napoleon.
5. running is supposed to be good for you.
6. I ought to be fit with all running I do, but I don’t feel fit.
7. I think red one will suit you best. red is more your colour.
8. We learnt English at school, but English we learnt was useless.
10. London is pretty safe today, but London of 18th century was pretty rough.
11. watches have become very cheap and attractive.
12. Most of watches you see today work in quartz.
13. indoor plants require a lot of effort and attention.
14. Bach gives me a great deal of pleasure.
15. Bach recording you bought for my birthday is first class.
16. The lives of poets and musicians have often been unbearably difficult.
17. I can never regret time I’ve spent on myself.
18. time is money.