Countable and Uncountable Nouns The can be used with uncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.
Countable and Uncountable Nouns The can be used with uncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.
"I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).
"He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).
"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.
"I need a bottle of water.“
"I need a new glass of milk.“
Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.
Geographical use of the Do not use the before:
Geographical use of the Do not use the before:
names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
names of continents (Asia, Europe)names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands
Do use the before:
names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific
points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula
Don’t forget the:
Don’t forget the:
The centre, the top, the middle, the bottom, the left, the right, the end of, the beginning of…
The same, the best, the worst…
The sun, the moon, the world, the sky, the sea, the ground, the country…
The police, the fire brigade, the army…
The piano, the guitar, the trumpet, the flute…
The radio (but television, without the)
The doctor, the toilet, the bank, the theatre, the post office, the dentist, the cinema…
