Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Determiners › Articles › The – Classification

The – Classification

Refer to typical characteristics and behavior

Typical of the class / Typical of any one of the kind

THE — THE CLASS AS A WHOLE
In scholarly writing (textbooks, encyclopedias, science journals) the article the before a noun refers to the class. (Classifications are found in studies of biology, architecture, cooking, clothing , cinema, and other subjects.) "This is true of all members of the class."
ANIMALS
The lion sleeps much of the day. The prairie dog is native to central North America. The parakeet lives in trees.
PLANTS
The banana grows in equatorial zones. Vitamin C and are contained in the orange. The banana fruit grows in hanging clusters.
VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS
The sub-compact is a North American classification. The hybrid offers consumers fuel economy.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The trombone is a brass wind instrument. Tommy Dorsey plays the trombone.

A — ANY ONE AS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL
In all other writing, the article a before a noun expresses that the characteristics or behavior of any one is typical of all of its kind. "Take any member, and this will be true for the rest." This use of a before a noun does not refer to a specific (exact) item or individual¹.
ANIMALS
A lion sleeps much of the day. Villagers know that a hyena can be very dangerous. A parakeet eats seeds and greens.;
PLANTS
A banana makes an excellent snack. A banana is a seedless fruit. A plantain is similar to a banana.
VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS
A sub-compact is a popular size car. A hybrid is a fuel-saving car.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A trombone is a very portable instrument. I love the sound of a trombone.

Terms

unspecific "any"
specific "one in mind"
indefinite "not mentioning an exact one" or "we don't know which one"
definite "an exact one" or " we know which one"

Combinations expressed by article use:

¹unspecific and indefinite — A lion sleeps a lot. (True for any one lion of its kind.) | Lions sleep in the day. (True for all of their kind.) | The lion sleeps a lot. (True for all members of the class [classification].)
specific but indefinite — A lion came into our town and ate a man. (It was a lion but we're not sure which one.)
specific and definite — The lion that ate the man was tracked and caught. (One lion and we know which one.)

Also see a for use as (1) an unspecific one (2) a specific one (3) first mention of one.

"The" Class of Instrument

Stringed Instrument — the violin

Information given in a classification

Classification is used in various fields of study — biology, architecture, linguistics, business, economics, performing arts, and so on— as a system of placing items into increasingly specialized groups.

Instruments › Stringed Instruments › The Violin

The violin refers to any and all violins of the class of stringed instruments called "violin".

"The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola, the cello, and the double bass. The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type of music played on it." — Wikipedia

The violin emerged in its definitive form between 1520 and 1550 in Northern Italy." — History of the Violin

Note the determiners:

CONTEXT	REFERENCE	EXAMPLE
CLASS OF INSTRUMENT	unspecific	Yehudi Menuhin plays the violin.
ONE PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT	specific	Yehudi Menuhin was given a violin when he was seven.
ANY INSTRUMENT	unspecific	Yehudi told his students that learning to playing a violin took hours of practice each day.
ALL	unspecific	Yehudi believes that violins are the most soulful of all instruments.

Practice 1

Famous Musicians and their Instruments

Which instrument did each musician play?

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.

Louis Armstrong played and sang.

Feedback 1

Itzhak Perlman plays .

Feedback 2

Eric Clapton plays .

Feedback 3

Elton John composes songs and plays .

Feedback 4

Yo-Yo Ma, a French born American, plays .

Feedback 5

John Coltrane, jazz artist, plays .

Feedback 6

Ringo Starr of the Beatles played .

Feedback 7

Bob Dylan played .

Feedback 8

Johnny Cash, a country-western singer, played .

Feedback 9

10.

Laurence Welk played on his Laurence Welk show from 1950 – 1960.

Feedback 10

Practice 2

Common or Scientific Usage?

Does it refer to "the class" or "one as an example of all"?

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.

11.

dog needs a lot of care and attention.

Feedback 11

12.

domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), is a subspecies of gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of Canidae family of mammalian order Carnivora.

Feedback 12

13.

Valencia Orange is a sweet orange, first hybridized by William Wolfskill, on his farm in Santa Ana in southern California in the United States.

Feedback 13

14.

fresh orange contains a lot of vitamin C.

Feedback 14

15.

tablet computer is a less expensive device for Internet browsing.

Feedback 15

16.

laptop has largely replaced desktop computer for home use.

Feedback 16

17.

oak tree is from the genus Quercus.

Feedback 17

18.

oak tree drops acorns on the ground.

Feedback 18

19.

mini-skirt requires very little material to make.

Feedback 19

20.

mini-skirt style was named after designer Mary Quant's favorite car "the Mini".

Feedback 20

Hands-on Activities

The — classification

Beginning

Identify the Class. Download and print out pictures of items in classifications. An encyclopedia may be helpful. (wild animals, car sizes/types, edible plants, musical instruments, etc.) Ask the others to identify the classification and one typical characteristic (physical or behavioral characteristic, origin) (The tomato is from the New World. The chocolate bean grows inside of a pod on a tree.)

Intermediate

Classification Members. Ask each person to name a classification and three members within the class. (musical instruments, hand-held electronic devices, dogs, animals in the wild (animal kingdom), art styles, furniture, architecture, vehicle sizes, economics). (1) Name three members in the classification; optionally, (2) name two typical characteristics of the classification.

Advanced

Important Invention. Name an important invention of the last 100 years and tell why and how it changed people's lives (in one sentence.) The battery is important because it gave people mobility when using electronic devices such as radios, music players, watches, phones, flashlights and now cars.