Grammar: ✨ Grammar F: 🧩 Parts of Speech - Basics (A1) - Lesson 14: Definite Article 'the'

Grammar: Articles

A1 Lesson 14: The Definite Article 'the'

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use the definite article 'the' to talk about specific and unique nouns.

Why It Matters: General vs. Specific

We use 'a' or 'an' for one general thing, but we use 'the' when we are talking about one specific thing that everyone knows about.

A / An (General)

I see a boat.
(This means any boat, not a specific one.)

The (Specific)

I see the boat.
(This means a specific boat that we both know.)

The Grammar Rules 📖

Here are the two most common rules for beginners.

Rule 1: For the Second Mention

Introduce something with 'a' or 'an'. When you talk about it again, use 'the'.

• I see a boat on the river. The boat is green.
• She has an apple. The apple looks delicious.
• There is a big market in town. Let's go to the market.

Rule 2: For Unique Things

Use 'the' for something that is the only one in the world, or the only one in your context.

• The sun is hot today. (There is only one sun)
• Look at the moon! (There is only one moon)
• Let's meet at the Durian Roundabout. (A specific, unique landmark)

💡 Pro Tip: Pronunciation

The spelling of 'the' never changes, but the sound does!

• We say "thuh" /ðə/ before a consonant sound: the boat, the market.
• We say "thee" /ðiː/ before a vowel sound: the apple, the orange.

Practice Your Grammar 🎯

Exercise 1: Choose 'a', 'an', or 'the'

Choose the correct article to complete the sentences.

1. My father has ___ new moto. ___ moto is black.
   → a, The
2. Can you see ___ Old Bridge from here?
   → the
3. I would like to eat ___ egg.
   → an
4. I bought ___ book yesterday. ___ book is very interesting.
   → a, The

Exercise 2: Complete the Story

Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the to complete the short story.

Yesterday was ___ beautiful day. I went to ___ market near my house. In ___ market, I saw ___ woman selling fruit. She had ___ big watermelon and ___ bunch of bananas. I bought ___ watermelon. ___ watermelon was heavy, but delicious!

Click to see the answers

Answers: a, the, the, a, a, a, the, The

Key Vocabulary

• Definite (Adjective) | កំណត់
  Specific, certain, or clear.
• Specific (Adjective) | ជាក់លាក់
  Clearly identified or particular.
• Unique (Adjective) | តែមួយគត់
  Being the only one of its kind.
• Second mention (Phrase) | ការនិយាយលើកទីពីរ
  To talk about something for the second time.

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

Your mission is to write two sentences. In the first sentence, introduce something with 'a' or 'an'. In the second sentence, talk about the same thing again using 'the'.

Example: I have a new phone. The phone is black.