Please, learn the rules! When do we use “THE” in English? (+ when DON’T we?)

Summary

In this English with Lucy lesson, Lucy comprehensively covers the use of the definite article 'the' in English. She outlines 17 situations where 'the' is used and seven where it's omitted, clarifying pronunciation nuances and providing examples. Lucy also offers a free PDF with lesson notes and exercises for practice, accessible via a link in the video description. The lesson is designed to help students master the use of 'the' through detailed rules and exceptions, making it an invaluable resource for English learners.

Takeaways

• 📘 The video is an English lesson focused on the proper use of the definite article 'the'.
• 🗣️ Two pronunciations of 'the' are taught: 'the' for words starting with a consonant sound and 'the' for words starting with a vowel sound.
• 🏛️ 'The' is used before nouns that have been previously mentioned or are known to the listener.
• 🌐 'The' is utilized with specific nouns, often with a qualifier, and for unique nouns that are the only one of their kind.
• 📈 It's used before superlative adjectives and adverbs, and with clauses and noun phrases introduced by 'only'.
• 🌍 'The' is applied to plural country names ending in 's', and country names containing 'Republic', 'Kingdom', 'Union', or 'State'.
• 🧭 'The' is placed before compass directions when referring to specific regions, and geographical locations.
• 🏙️ It's used with certain geographical features like oceans, seas, rivers, mountain ranges, and deserts.
• 🏰 'The' precedes famous buildings, well-known works of art, and adjectives referring to specific groups of people.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 'The' is used before family names when referring to a group, specific times, and time periods.
• 🏢 'The' is employed with organizations, hotels, restaurants, pubs, and newspapers, with exceptions for names starting with a name or certain acronyms.
• ❌ 'The' is not used with general plural countable and uncountable nouns, names of people, holidays, companies, universities, cities, towns, states, streets, lakes, single mountains, and continents.
• ✏️ The lesson emphasizes exceptions to the rules, highlighting the complexity of article usage in English.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video by English with Lucy?

The main focus of the video is to cover the proper usage of the definite article 'the' in English, including 17 situations where it is used and seven where it is not.

How many ways are there to pronounce the word 'the' according to the video?

There are two ways to pronounce the word 'the': one with the schwa sound ('the') used before words starting with a consonant sound, and the other with a different pronunciation ('the') used before words starting with a vowel sound or for emphasis.

What is the significance of the word 'the' in the English language as explained in the video?

The word 'the' is the most used word in the English language and serves as the definite article, used to refer to specific nouns that are known to the reader or listener.

Can you provide an example of using 'the' with a superlative adjective from the video?

Yes, an example given is 'We had the best time yesterday.', where 'the' is used before the superlative adjective 'best'.

When is 'the' used before country names that include 'Republic', 'Kingdom', 'Union', or 'State'?

The video explains that 'the' is used before country names that include 'Republic', 'Kingdom', 'Union', or 'State', such as 'the Dominican Republic' or 'the United States'.

What is an example of using 'the' with ordinal numbers as qualifiers?

An example provided is 'this is the second time she's been late', where 'the' is used with the ordinal number 'second' as a qualifier.

Why might native speakers sometimes incorrectly use 'the' before a consonant sound?

Native speakers might incorrectly use 'the' before a consonant sound because it's more comfortable to say 'the' with the mouth slightly shut rather than with the mouth open.

In what situations is 'the' not used according to the video?

The video lists several situations where 'the' is not used, including with general plural countable and uncountable nouns, names of people, holidays, companies, universities, cities, towns, states, streets, lakes, single mountains, and continents.

What is an example of using 'the' with a specific time mentioned in the video?

An example is 'We will celebrate Leo's birthday on the 25th.', where 'the' is used before the specific time '25th'.

How can viewers access the free PDF created by Lucy to accompany the lesson?

Viewers can access the free PDF by clicking on the link in the description box, entering their first name and email address.