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Grammar Reference

we use the before:
• something specific or unique. The man at the door is my uncle.
The sun rises in the east.
• names of seas, oceans, rivers, deserts. the Mediterranean (Sea)
the Atlantic (Ocean)
the Amazon (River)
the Sahara (Desert)
• groups of islands, mountain ranges, and countries in the the Canary Islands the Himalayas
plural. the USA
• people’s surnames (when we refer to the whole family). the Smiths
• nationalities (when we refer to the whole nation). the Greeks BUT Fiona is Italian.
• musical instruments (with the verb play). He plays the piano.
• names of hotels, cinemas, newspapers. the Hilton Hotel the Rex Cinema
© MM Publications
the Times
• the cardinal points. in the east
• the superlative form of adjectives and adverbs. Tom is the tallest boy in this class.

we do not use the before:
• names of people, cities, islands, lakes, countries, streets, That’s Maria. She comes from Spain.
continents, nationalities.
• school subjects or sports. History is interesting.
We love football.
• uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns, when we talk I like coffee. Cats like milk.
about something in general.
• the words breakfast, lunch, dinner. We have lunch at 1.30.
• the words hospital, home, school, church, bed, work, prison, The boys are at school. BUT
when they are used for the purpose for which they exist. The boys visited their uncle at the hospital.

one / ones
• We use one when we don’t want to repeat a singular countable noun.
 Which coat is yours? The black one.
• We use ones when we don’t want to repeat a plural countable noun.
 Which shoes do you like? The brown ones.

How much...? / How many...? / much / many
A lot of / Lots of / Loads of / A little / A few

• We use How much...? with uncountable nouns to ask about the quantity of something.
 How much milk is there?

Note: We also use How much...? to ask about the cost or price of something.
 How much are these shoes? €100?

• We use How many...? with plural countable nouns to ask about the number of something.
 How many cans of lemonade do we need?
• We use much with uncountable nouns, in questions and in negative sentences.
 We haven’t got much money.
• We use many with plural countable nouns, usually in questions and in negative sentences.
 There aren’t many books in the bookcase.

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