Grammar-Quizzes.com

 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Article Summary
• Article Diagnostic
• A-unspecific
• A-specific
• A / An
• All/ The-class
• The-class/ A-unspec
• All/ The-specfic
• The-Earlier Mention
• The-Included Parts
• The-Later Mention
• The-Shared Knowl
• A-Nationality
• The–Group
• The-Landmarks
• The-Geography
• The-Countries
• Most / Most of the
• Another/ The other
• 2nd Mention Prac
• Identifying Nouns
• Article Expressions
• The-Superlatives
• Known or New?
• Speaking in General
• Art Paragr Edit
• Article Context
• Related Pages

• On this page:
• Both See or Know
• Known by Uniqueness
• Summary
• Practice 1
• Practice 2

The - Shared Knowledge

Knowing "which one"

 

 

 

5) Both See or Know Which One

UNKNOWN – A	KNOWN BECAUSE BOTH SEE OR KNOW IT – THE
Use a to introduce the noun.	Use the to refer to a noun that both see or know from context or experience.
Give me a puzzle piece.	Where does the piece go?  We both see the piece.

 

 

6) It is Unique – there is only one

UNKNOWN – A	KNOWN BECAUSE IT IS UNIQUE – THE
Use a if the item iis one of many	Use the if the item is one of a kind.  Both speaker and listener know which one it is.
Give me a puzzle piece.	Which one? The last piece.   There is only one "last piece".
NOT UNIQUE a moon  (Jupiter has more than one)	UNIQUE the moon  (earth's)
a sun  (in another solar system)	the sun  (our solar system)
a planet	the earth (the world)
a mother's son / daughter	the boy's mother
a kitchen	the kitchen of the house
a god	the god  (God)  /
a right leg (horse, spider, centipede)	the right leg (human)
a lie (There are many.)	the truth (There is one.)
a bee  (There are many.)	the queen bee (There is one per colony or hive.)

the gods – usually refers to those of Greek Mythology or those within a particular culture (Mayan, Indian, etc.).   

 

 

Summary for Using The

Link	MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION	CONTEXTUAL EXAMPLE
Page focus	The noun is identified by:	The is used as part of a larger context or understanding.
The-Earlier Mention	1)  by earlier, second mention	This is a puzzle piece. The piece fits into a puzzle.
The-Earlier Mention	2)  by another name (synonym)	This is a puzzle piece. The parts are rather small.  (a piece = a part)
The-Included Parts	3)  as an expected part of a larger item	This is a puzzle.  The pieces are inside the box.
The-Later Mention	4)  by a phrase or clause after it	The part on top is here.  /  The part that I am holding is a corner.
this page	5)  by both knowing or seeing it	Hand me the piece.   (We both know or see which one.)
this page	6)  by its uniqueness (It is the only one.)	Hand me the last piece.

 

 

 

Practice 1

Identification by Shared Knowledge

 

1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK YOUR ANSWER
1.	We need to protect — a the planet from global warming.
2.	- — A The moon is beautiful tonight.
3.	— A The sun is setting.
4.	— (no article) The water is cold.
5.	— (no article) The weather is changing.
6.	— An The hour is late.
7.	— A The meal is delicious.
8.	- It There television is on.

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

Identified by Being Unique 

 

 

Existing as the Only One

UNIDENTIFIED	IDENTIFIED BY UNIQUENESS
A wife of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was visiting the University of Oxford. (He has four.)	The wife of King Gustaf of Sweden was visiting the University of Oxford. (He has one, Silvia.)

 

 

 

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
9.	-- A The mother of the boy came to pick him up from school.
10.	-- A The brother of the boy came to pick him up . (He may have more than one.)
11.	-- A The seed of the avocado was lying in the sink. (It has one.)
12.	-- A The seed of the tomato was lying in the sink.