USES OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
[Sidenote: _Reference to a known object._]
177. The most common use of the definite article is to refer to an
object that the listener or reader is already acquainted with; as in
the sentence,--
Don't you remember how, when _the_ dragon was infesting _the_
neighborhood of Babylon, _the_ citizens used to walk dismally out
of evenings, and look at _the_ valleys round about strewed with
_the_ bones?--THACKERAY.
NOTE.--This use is noticed when, on opening a story, a person is
introduced by _a_, and afterwards referred to by _the_:--
By and by _a_ giant came out of the dark north, and lay down on
the ice near Audhumla.... _The_ giant frowned when he saw the
glitter of the golden hair.--_Heroes of Asgard._
[Sidenote: _With names of rivers._]
178. _The_ is often prefixed to the names of rivers; and when the
word _river_ is omitted, as "_the_ Mississippi," "_the_ Ohio," the
article indicates clearly that a river, and not a state or other
geographical division, is referred to.
No wonder I could face _the_ Mississippi with so much courage
supplied to me.--THACKERAY.
The Dakota tribes, doubtless, then occupied the country southwest
of _the_ Missouri.--G. BANCROFT.
[Sidenote: _To call attention to attributes._]
179. When _the_ is prefixed to a proper name, it alters the force of
the noun by directing attention to _certain qualities_ possessed by
the person or thing spoken of; thus,--
_The_ Bacon, _the_ Spinoza, _the_ Hume, Schelling, Kant, or
whosoever propounds to you a philosophy of the mind, is only a
more or less awkward translator of things in your
consciousness.--EMERSON.
[Sidenote: _With plural of abstract nouns._]
180. _The_, when placed before the pluralized abstract noun, marks
it as half abstract or a common noun.
[Sidenote: _Common._]
His messages to _the_ provincial _authorities_.--MOTLEY.
[Sidenote: _Half abstract._]
He was probably skilled in _the subtleties_ of Italian
statesmanship.--_Id._
[Sidenote: _With adjectives used as nouns._]
181. When _the_ precedes adjectives of the positive degree used
substantively, it marks their use as common and plural nouns when they
refer to persons, and as singular and abstract when they refer to
qualities.
1. _The simple_ rise as by specific levity, not into a particular
virtue, but into the region of all the virtues.--EMERSON.
2. If _the good_ is there, so is _the evil_.--_Id._
[Sidenote: _Caution._]
NOTE.--This is not to be confused with words that have shifted from
adjectives and become pure nouns; as,--
As she hesitated to pass on, _the gallant_, throwing his cloak
from his shoulders, laid it on the miry spot.--SCOTT.
But De Soto was no longer able to abate the confidence or punish
the temerity of _the natives_.--G. BANCROFT.
[Sidenote: _One thing for its class._]
182. _The_ before class nouns may mark one thing as a representative
of the class to which it belongs; for example,--
The faint, silvery warblings heard over the partially bare and
moist fields from _the bluebird_, _the song sparrow_, and _the
redwing_, as if the last flakes of winter tinkled as they
fell!--THOREAU.
In the sands of Africa and Arabia _the camel_ is a sacred and
precious gift.--GIBBON.
[Sidenote: _For possessive person pronouns._]
183. _The_ is frequently used instead of the possessive case of the
personal pronouns _his_, _her_, etc.
More than one hinted that a cord twined around _the head_, or a
match put between _the fingers_, would speedily extract the
required information.--KINGSLEY.
_The_ mouth, and the region of the mouth, were about the
strongest features in Wordsworth's face.--DE QUINCEY.
[Sidenote: The _for_ a.]
184. In England and Scotland _the_ is often used where we use _a_,
in speaking of measure and price; as,--
Wheat, the price of which necessarily varied, averaged in the
middle of the fourteenth century tenpence _the bushel_, barley
averaging at the same time three shillings _the
quarter_.--FROUDE.
[Sidenote: _A very strong restrictive._]
185. Sometimes _the_ has a strong force, almost equivalent to a
descriptive adjective in emphasizing a word,--
No doubt but ye are _the_ people, and wisdom shall die with
you.--_Bible._
As for New Orleans, it seemed to me _the_ city of the world where
you can eat and drink the most and suffer the least.--THACKERAY.
He was _the_ man in all Europe that could (if any could) have
driven six-in-hand full gallop over Al Sirat.--DE QUINCEY.
[Sidenote: _Mark of a substantive._]
186. _The_, since it belongs distinctively to substantives, is a
sure indication that a word of verbal form is not used participially,
but substantively.
In the hills of Sacramento there is gold for _the
gathering_.--EMERSON.
I thought _the writing_ excellent, and wished, if possible, to
imitate it.--FRANKLIN.
[Sidenote: _Caution._]
187. There is one use of _the_ which is different from all the
above. It is an adverbial use, and is spoken of more fully in Sec.
283. Compare this sentence with those above:--
There was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not
previously noticed, and which grew still _the more obvious_ to
the sight _the oftener_ they looked upon him.--HAWTHORNE.
Exercise
Find sentences with five uses of the definite article.
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