by the, since it is considered that there can, for example, be only one middle or one top of something.
e.g. There is a car stopped in the middle of the road. She is at the top of her class. They like to be the center of attention. The police are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
c. Referring to something when it is considered obvious what is meant
The is also used when, because the thing being referred to is the most important one of its kind to the speaker or writer, it is assumed that it will be understood which particular thing is meant. e.g. The house needs to be painted. The sun rose at six o'clock this morning. I'm going to the park. Don't slam the door.
These sentences give examples of the use of the to refer to things which are not in fact unique, but which are uniquely important to the speaker or writer. The expression the house is often used when referring to one's own house. The expression the sun almost always refers to the sun which is closest to the earth. The
expression the park might be used to refer to the only park in the vicinity, or to a park which one visits often. In the sentence Don't slam the door, the expression the door might refer to the door of the room or building which one is presently occupying.
d. Referring to something as a class
When preceded by the, a singular countable noun can be used to represent something as a class.
e.g. The telephone is a modern convenience. The horse is a domesticated animal. The eagle is a bird of prey. In the first example, the telephone refers to telephones considered as a class. Likewise, in the other examples, the horse refers to horses considered as a class, and the eagle refers to eagles considered as a class.
It should be noted that the is not used when the word man represents the human race considered as a class. e.g. Man has invented many things. The dolphin may be as intelligent as man.
See Exercise 3.
EXERCISES for Chapter 14
1. Rewrite each of the following sentences, changing the subject of the verb to the singular, inserting a or an before the subject, as appropriate, and changing the verb to agree with the subject. For example:
Violins are difficult to play. A violin is difficult to play.
Unions have been formed. A union has been formed.
Answers are always provided. An answer is always provided.
Heirs have many friends. An heir has many friends.
1. Avocados are expensive.
2. Windows are an important feature of an artist's studio. 3. Umbrellas should not be used during a thunderstorm.
4. Horses can be useful in the mountains. 5. Cashews are a type of nut.
6. Onions can be used for flavoring soup. 7. Trucks have many uses. 8. Hours passed.
9. Sentences should have proper punctuation. 10. Escalators are very convenient. 11. Uniforms must be worn. 12. Boxes were found on the floor. 13. Marshes lie beyond the city boundary. 14. Ideas can be valuable.
15. Eggs are a good source of protein. Answers
2. Fill in each blank with either the indefinite article (a or an) or the definite article (the). Use a or an with nouns referring to people or things which have not been mentioned previously, and use the with nouns referring to people or things which have been mentioned previously.
I had never visited Seretnay Park before. Last week I went to ____ park and chose ____ tour to take. There were twenty tourists and
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