The 1 (the sun / the sky / the same)

One of a Kind: Use the

When something is the only one, use the. The listener already knows which one you mean because there is no other.

• Have you ever crossed the equator? (there is only one equator)
• Our office is on the top floor. (the building has one top floor)
• Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
• We need to submit everything by the end of this quarter.

Superlatives Always Take the

After a superlative (best, largest, most expensive, etc.), always use the.

• What is the longest river in Africa?
• That was the most productive meeting we’ve had all year.
• She is the best candidate for the position.

Notice how the and a/an can appear in the same sentence:

the (only one)	a/an (one of many)
*The sun is a star.*	(one star among billions)
*The hotel we booked was a small boutique hotel.*	(one of many hotels)
What’s the best way to learn a language?	(one of many languages)

The same

The word same always needs the before it.

• Your proposal is the same as mine. (not is same as mine)
• We both arrived at the same time.
• Are these two reports the same? — No, they’re different.

Fixed Expressions: the sky, the sea, the ground…

Some everyday nouns refer to things we all share. They take the:

Use the with
the world	the universe
the sun	the moon
the earth	the sky
the sea	the ground
the country (= rural areas, not a town)	the internet

• I love looking at the stars in the sky. (not in sky)
• Do you prefer living in a city or in the country?
• *The earth goes round the sun.*

Two special cases:

• Earth (no the) when you treat it as a planet name, like Mars or Jupiter: Which planet is nearest Earth?
• Space (no the) when it means “the universe”: There are millions of stars in space. But: I tried to park, but the space was too small. (= a specific parking space)

Entertainment and Media

Use the	No article
the cinema — I go to the cinema a lot.	TV / television — I watch TV after work.
the theatre — I haven’t been to the theatre in months.
the radio — Do you listen to the radio during your commute?
the internet — *The internet has changed how we do business.*

One exception: when you mean the physical device, use the:

• Can you turn off the television? (= the TV set in the room)

Meals: Usually No Article

Use breakfast, lunch, and dinner without the.

• What did you have for breakfast?
• We discussed the project over lunch.

But if you add an adjective, use a/an:

• We had a very productive lunch with the client. (not We had very productive lunch)
• I grabbed an early breakfast before the flight.

Numbers in Labels: No Article

When a number is part of a label or name, drop the.

Say this	Not this
Our train leaves from platform 5.	the platform 5
Do you have these shoes in size 43?	the size 43
The meeting is in room 301.	the room 301
Open your handbook to page 12.	the page 12

The same pattern applies to section B, gate 14, vitamin C, channel 4, etc.

Quick Self-Check