the

Everyday

1. The points to a thing you already know about or that has been named. tree →
2. The is used when there is only one of something: the sun, the sky, the world. tree →
3. The is used before some names of groups, rivers, oceans and places: the Pacific, the USA. tree →
4. The before «more … the more» shows two things grow together: «the more you read, the better you get». tree →
5. (casual) «The» is often dropped in quick talk and texts: «bus is late», «kids are fine»; «da» or «teh» are typos or slang spellings. tree →
6. (formal) Exams pile up «the» in long phrases: «the aggregate of the quantities», «the remainder of the sum». tree →

In the lessons

marks things already known: the table, the board; it shows the problem is talking about the same thing as before; phrases: «the first», «the rest», «the same», «the whole», «the most»; in casual talk «the» goes missing («bus at 8:40», «nan's coming»), or sounds «th'»; in rough talk «the bloody bus»; in the exam voice «the aforementioned», «the said quantity», «the remainder»

Examples

• On the board: cups = 1. tree →
• The apples are on the table. tree →
• How many cards does the boy have now? tree →
• The sun is a star. tree →
• She is the tallest girl in the class. tree →
• We swam in the Atlantic Ocean. tree →
• The rest of the cookies are in the jar. tree →
• The more you practise, the faster you get. tree →
• bus at 8:40, its 8:25 now, how long (no «the» in a text). tree →
• The bloody dog ate the last 2 sausages. tree →
• The aforementioned crates contain 12 bottles each. tree →
• Determine the remainder when the sum is divided by 5. tree →
• "Who's there?" asked the old lady. tree →

Note

Said «thuh» before a consonant sound and «thee» before a vowel sound (the apple). Use «a/an» for something new, «the» for something known: «I saw a dog. The dog barked.» Carries no operation clue; but «the» shows a thing already counted. In texts and quick talk «the» is often missing: the meaning stays the same. «the aforementioned» and «the said» point back to things already named.

In Jewish tradition

marks things already known: the table, the board; it shows the problem is talking about the same thing as before; phrases: «the first», «the rest», «the same», «the whole», «the most»; in casual talk «the» goes missing («bus at 8:40», «nan's coming»), or sounds «th'»; in rough talk «the bloody bus»; in the exam voice «the aforementioned», «the said quantity», «the remainder»

Examples

• And God called the firmament Heaven. (Torah GEN.1.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• These are the generations of Noah. (Torah GEN.6.9, JPS 1917) tree →
• These are the generations of Shem. (Torah GEN.11.10, JPS 1917) tree →
• All the kings thirty and one. (Prophets JOS.12.24, JPS 1917) tree →
• Is Saul also among the prophets?' (Prophets 1SA.10.11, JPS 1917) tree →
• And the days were not expired; (Prophets 1SA.18.26, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Said «thuh» before a consonant sound and «thee» before a vowel sound (the apple). Use «a/an» for something new, «the» for something known: «I saw a dog. The dog barked.» Carries no operation clue; but «the» shows a thing already counted. In texts and quick talk «the» is often missing: the meaning stays the same. «the aforementioned» and «the said» point back to things already named.