The Definite Article

Stage 2 : Exercise

The Definite Article

In addition to determiners (this, that, these, those) and relative pronouns, the definite article (the) is also used in English to refer to something already mentioned in speaking or writing. For example:

Professor Chung, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, died at the age of 90. The death saddened all his colleagues.

But the is also used to specify that we have a particular item in mind. For example, compare a) and b) below. The first sentence is a general statement applying to all Chinese, while b) tells us that the speaker is specifying a particular group of Chinese people.

a) Chinese people are usually willing to help others.

b) The Chinese people I live next door to are usually willing to help others.

Click for the exercises.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2