AEE 221: When to Use "The" at Thanksgiving Dinner

When should you use the word ‘the’ in English? Today, in #1 of the
Top 15 Fixes series, we discuss the most common article in the
English language, ‘the’! Come back to our site   Taking IELTS?
Get our free IELTS video training now   Use if the word
‘the’ can be a confusing. But there are some rules that can
help you get it right most of the time.   The first requires
that you consider whether the focus is on something specific, or
something more general. When focused on specific items, use
‘the’. If you’re sitting at a table, talking about the food
that is actually in front of you, you might say: “Do you like the
turkey?” “Yes, the turkey is great!” “Could you please pass the
salt?” When focused on more general terms, you don’t use
‘the’. If you’re discussing food in general, you might say:
“Do you like turkey?” “Have you tried pumpkin pie?” “Cranberries
are too tart for me.”   Geographical terms can also be tricky
for ‘the’. In most cases, large, well-known geographic places
will have ‘the': the content, the Pacific Ocean, the moon. With
specific countries, a country’s formal name might require ‘the,’
while a less formal name might not: the United States, the Russian
Federation; America, Russia.   Other Entries in the 15 Fixes
Series: Episode 165: Listen or Hear? Episode 169: Speak, Talk, Tell
and Say? Episode 173: Wish vs. Hope Episode 177: Talking About
Age in English Episode 181: Future Tense in English Episode 185:
Interested or Interesting? Episode 189: Talking About the Past
Episode 193: How to Borrow Money Episode 197: Who Pays for Lunch?
Episode 201: Will vs. Going To Episode 205: Talking about People
Episode 209: How much versus How many Episode 213: Make vs. Do
Episode 217: By Yourself vs. On Your Own   What have you found
difficult about ‘the’? Tell us all about it in the comments section
below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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