How to Usage of Article - Part - II ( Advanced)

Article "THE" is used in the following ways:
Rule 1:

• Before the names of the historical  or public buildings:  the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, etc
• Before the names of rivers:  the Krishna, the Ganga, the Yamuna etc.
• Before the names of seas:  the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea etc.
• Before the Oceans:  the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, etc.
• Before the names of certain chains of Mountains:  the Himalayas, the Alps, etc.
• Before the names of deserts:  the Sahara, the Thar, etc.
• Before the names of newspapers, magazines etc:  the Hindustan Times, , the Deccan Chronicle, etc.
• Before groups of islands:  the Andamans, the West Indies, etc.
• Before the names of certain countries (This is an exception):  the Yemen, the Sudan, the Hague, etc.
• 

Examples:

Rule 2:  Before a noun denoting a hospital, temple, school, college, prison etc. If its purpose or use is not referred to or say if used not in its primary purpose.
Examples:  He has gone to the hospital to visit a friend, Where he is employed.
(Here he went to hospital to meet his friend not because of illness)

Rule 3:  Before an adjective in the superlative degree.
Examples:  
Michael is tallest boy in the class.  ✘
Michael is the tallest boy in the class  ✔

Rule 4:  Before an adjective in the comparative degree, when the selection of one out of only two persons.
Example:  
Nalini is more beautiful of the two girls in the class.  ✘
Nalini is the more beautiful of the two girls in the class.  ✔

Rule 5:  With nouns indicating what is unique. (there is no second one)
Examples:  the sun, the moon, the sky, the earth, the equator etc.

Rule 6:  Before an abstract noun or a material if it is used with an adjunct (a qualifying clause) (or when there is a particular  reference to the material noun)
Examples:   The gold you have brought from the U.S.A. is good quality.
Ornaments are made of The gold  ✘

Rule 7:  The is used before certain adjectives to give a plural meaning.  The rich, The poor, The dead, The sick, The healthy, The deaf, The blind etc.
 The rich = rich people
 The poor = poor people
ExamplesRich hate poor  ✘
The rich hate the poor  ✔

Wise think before they speak  ✘
The wise think before they speak  ✔

Rule 8: With certain adjectives indicating nationality.  The spanish means spanish people
Examples:  the English, the Dutch, the Spanish, the Chinese, the Burmese etc.

Rule 9:  Before ‘only’ and ordinal numbers, such first, second, millionth etc. and adjectives of number.
Examples:
All the students of  first year are invited.  ✘
All the students of the first year are invited  ✔

Second example is not correct  ✘
The second example is not correct.  ✔

He is only one in the class who got selected for Google.  ✘
He is the only one in the class who got selected for Google.  ✔

Today is sixth day of the month  ✘
Today is the sixth day of the month  ✔

Rule 10:  Before a noun when special emphasis is needed.
Example:
This is the novel I am talking about.  (not any novel, but a particular novel)

Rule 11:  Before a common noun to give it the meaning of an abstract noun
Examples:   At last the father in him prevailed and excused him.

Rule 12:  In special comparatives
Examples:
 1. The more you earn, the more you spend
 2. The more, the better
 3. The higher you go, the cooler you feel.


Rule 13:  Before musical instruments.
Examples:  
Rajani can play piano very well  ✘
Rajani can play the piano very well.  ✔ 

Rule 14:  Before the proper names of certain well-known or sacred books.
Examples:   the Mahabharat, the Ramayana, the Gita, the Bible, the Quran

Rule 15:  Before the names of certain countries each of which is a union of smaller units.
Examples:   the U.S.A., the U.A.E., and U.S.S.R etc.

Rule 16:  Before north, south etc when these are used as nouns.
Examples:   the north of India, the Middle East, the West Asia.

Rule 17:  Before some proper nouns consisting of adjectives and noun or noun + of + noun
Examples:   the State Bank of India, the National Museum

Rule 18:  The + singular noun + clause or phrase can be used to distinguish one person from another of the same name.
Example:
 Q. We have two Reddy’s, which Reddy you want?
 A. I want the Reddy who signed the letter.

Rule 19:  Before the names of political parties.
Example:  the BJP, the Congress

Rule 20:  When it is clear from the context that a particular person, place or thing is meant.
Examples:
 1. I talked to the Principal yesterday.  (Both speaker and listener knew who is principal)
 2. The students are playing in the garden.

Rule 21:  Before the dates of months.
Examples:
 the 23 October, 1949, the 15th August, 1947, etc.,

Rule 22: "The" is used before the parts of the body which are used in place of possessive Adjectives
Don't strike her on head  ✘
Don't strike her on the head  ✔

She caught me by hand  ✘
She caught me by the hand  ✔

He pulled him by leg  ✘
He pulled him by the leg.  ✔