Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021
Use the with most specific common nouns
Articles (a, an, the)
Multilingual Writers and ESL Topics
The definite article, the, is used with most nouns — both count and noncount — that the reader can identify specifically. Usually the identity will be clear to the reader for one of the following reasons. (See also the first chart in 29c.)
1. The noun has been previously mentioned.
2. A phrase or clause following the noun restricts its identity.
NOTE: Descriptive adjectives do not necessarily make a noun specific. A specific noun is one that readers can identify within a group of nouns of the same type.
3. A superlative adjective such as best or most intelligent makes the noun’s identity specific. (See also 26d.)
4. The noun describes a unique person, place, or thing.
5. The context or situation makes the noun’s identity clear.
6. The noun is singular and refers to a scientific class or category of items (most often animals, musical instruments, and inventions).
TYPES OF NOUNS
Common or proper
Common nouns |
Examples |
|
✵ name general persons, places, things, or ideas ✵ begin with lowercase letters |
✵ religion ✵ knowledge ✵ rain |
✵ beauty ✵ student ✵ country |
Proper nouns |
Examples |
|
✵ name specific persons, places, things, or ideas ✵ begin with capital letters |
✵ Hinduism ✵ Philip ✵ Vietnam |
✵ President Adams ✵ Blue Mosque ✵ Renaissance |
Count or noncount (common nouns only)
Count nouns |
Examples |
|
✵ name persons, places, things, or ideas that can be counted ✵ have plural forms |
✵ girl, girls ✵ city, cities ✵ goose, geese ✵ philosophy, philosophies |
|
Noncount nouns |
Examples |
|
✵ name things or abstract ideas that cannot be counted ✵ cannot be made plural |
✵ water ✵ silver ✵ furniture |
✵ patience ✵ knowledge ✵ air |
NOTE: See the second chart in 29d for commonly used noncount nouns.
Singular or plural (both common and proper)
Singular nouns (count and noncount) |
Examples |
|
✵ represent one person, place, thing, or idea |
✵ backpack ✵ country ✵ woman ✵ achievement |
✵ rain ✵ beauty ✵ Nile River ✵ Block Island |
Plural nouns (count only) |
Examples |
|
✵ represent more than one person, place, thing, or idea ✵ must be count nouns |
✵ backpacks ✵ countries ✵ women |
✵ Ural Mountains ✵ Falkland Islands ✵ achievements |
Specific (definite) or general (indefinite) (count and noncount)
Specific nouns |
Examples |
✵ name persons, places, things, or ideas that can be identified within a group of the same type |
The students in Professor Martin’s class should study. The airplane carrying the senator was late. The furniture in the truck was damaged. |
General nouns |
Examples |
✵ name categories of persons, places, things, or ideas (often plural) |
Students should study. Books bridge gaps between cultures. The airplane has made commuting between cities easy. |