TryShadowing
Shadow YouTube. Speak English.
Home
Browse
Dictation
NEW
My Library
en
0
days
Sign in
Don't Use "THE" with These Wo… — AccurateEnglish shadowing | TryShadowing
TryShadowing
Shadow YouTube. Speak English.
Home
Browse
Dictation
NEW
My Library
en
0
days
Sign in
Home
Browse
AccurateEnglish
Don't Use "THE" with These Words
Don't Use "THE" with These Words
AccurateEnglish
Start Shadowing
0:00
0:00
Record
×1
1x
VI
EN
JA
KO
ZH
FR
PT
TH
IT
DE
IPA
Pronunciation scoring isn't supported on this browser — you can still record and listen back.
Hi,
I'm
Lisa.
Translating…
Turn on Record to capture your voice and get scored
Smart
Karaoke
Line
1
/353
0:00
Hi, I'm Lisa.
0:01
Let's learn when to say 'the' and when to leave it out.
0:06
You probably already know that English articles a and the can be very confusing.
0:12
For example, why do we say I'm going to the store,
0:17
but we don't say I'm going to the school.
0:20
We say I'm going to school. or why do we say the Pacific Ocean,
0:27
but we don't say the Mount Everest?
0:30
In this video, I will teach you some rules about
0:34
when we should use the
0:36
and when we need to leave it out.
0:38
I hear some of these mistakes even from my most advanced English students.
0:42
And then at the end of the video,
0:44
I will give you a quiz to review what you just learned.
0:48
Let's compare these two sentences with school.
0:51
I go to school every day.
0:54
The school is on the corner.
0:57
Why do we say 'the' in the second sentence,
0:59
but we don't say the in the first sentence?
1:02
Here is the rule.
1:03
We don't use the when we describe everyday places and activities like school, work,
1:12
class, bed, or church.
1:15
Let's look at some more examples where we don't use the
1:18
because it's an activity.
1:20
We can say she's in class right now.
1:24
He goes to church every Sunday.
1:27
That's an activity.
1:28
I'm going to bed now.
1:31
He's at work.
1:33
He was sent to jail.
1:35
So in these cases,
1:36
we would not use the we would not say to the jail
1:40
or to the home
1:42
or to the class,
1:44
but we use the when it's a place or it's a physical location.
1:50
For example, the school is on the corner.
1:53
It's the actual physical building.
1:55
The class was noisy today.
1:58
I'll meet you at the church on Main Street.
2:01
It's the actual physical building.
2:04
The bed is so comfortable.
2:07
The jail is overcrowded.
2:09
It's an actual physical place.
2:12
Let's compare these sentences.
2:14
I'm in class now.
2:16
That's an activity. the class went on a trip.
2:20
And in this case, the class means a group of students.
2:25
Or we can say they go to church on Sundays.
2:29
This is a religious activity.
2:32
But if it's a physical building, we would say the church.
2:37
The church is near my house.
2:40
And let's look at the word bed.
2:42
I went to bed.
2:44
I went to bed at 1000 p.m.
2:47
That's an action.
2:48
It's something I did.
2:49
It's an activity.
2:51
The bed is soft.
2:54
In that case, that's a physical object.
2:57
She's at work.
2:59
That's a routine.
3:00
It's something you do regularly.
3:02
It's an activity.
3:04
The work is difficult.
3:06
In this case, it's a specific task.
3:09
And let's look at jail or prison.
3:12
We can say he's in jail or he's in prison.
3:17
But we would say the jail is full.
3:21
The prison is secure.
3:23
In this case, we are talking about the buildings.
3:26
But this one is a little bit different.
3:29
Let's look at the word hospital.
3:31
Do we need the with hospital?
3:33
What do you think?
3:34
Do we say he's in hospital or do we say he's in the hospital?
3:40
It depends.
3:41
In American English, we say in the hospital.
3:45
He's in the hospital.
3:46
And that means he is a patient in the hospital.
3:49
However, in British English, it's he is in hospital.
3:54
When we mean that he is a patient, he is hospitalized.
3:58
So, in American English, he is in the hospital.
4:01
In British English, he is in hospital.
4:04
Let's listen to some native speakers of American English and British English using hospital.
4:11
Also, listen to how they pronounce the word hospital differently in American English versus
4:17
British English.
4:18
>> Minutes count when you're in the hospital.
4:20
He was there in the hospital all day.
4:22
>> The doctors in the hospital.
4:24
>> When my mom was in hospital, >> she woke up in hospital.
4:27
>> They should be in hospital.
4:28
>> In American English, the O of hospital is pronounced more like an a sound.
4:34
So, we don't say hospital, we say ah, hospital.
4:38
Other words spelled with an o that have the same a sound include job,
4:44
office, hot, stop, McDonald's, a lot.
4:51
So, that o is very frequently pronounced as an a sound in American English.
4:57
Let's look at another rule related to
4:59
when we use the
5:00
and when we omit it.
5:02
Let's talk about musical instruments.
5:05
We use the when we are talking about playing an instrument
5:09
and playing it is the key word.
5:11
But when we are not playing it,
5:13
when we are talking about the physical instrument, we use a or an.
5:18
Let's compare these two sentences.
5:21
I play the piano.
5:23
I bought a piano.
5:26
Let's look at these examples.
5:28
He is playing the drums.
5:31
She is learning the violin.
5:33
Meaning she is learning to play the violin.
5:37
He needs a trumpet for class.
5:40
So, I'm playing the piano.
5:43
I bought a piano.
5:45
Let's look at some more rules.
5:48
Let's look at these two sentences.
5:50
I went to Lake Tahoe.
5:52
Nothe.
5:54
I saw the Nile River.
5:57
We use the article the here.
5:59
So, here is the rule.
6:01
We don't use the with lakes.
6:04
Lake Tahoe, Lake Michigan, but we do use the with rivers.
6:10
The Nile River, the Amazon River.
6:14
It gets very specific, doesn't it?
6:16
These rules can be really detailed.
6:18
We also don't use the for mountains if it's an individual mountain.
6:24
For example, Mount Everest or Mount Fuji.
6:28
It's just one.
6:29
We don't use the for countries.
6:31
We would say I went to Japan.
6:33
But why do we say I went to the United Kingdom?
6:38
The United Kingdom is a country.
6:40
So what is the rule?
6:41
Here's the rule.
6:43
We don't use the for countries unless the country includes a political title,
6:49
a group name, or a plural.
6:52
For example, the United States.
6:55
It's a group and it's plural.
6:57
The United Kingdom.
7:00
The Dominican Republic.
7:02
The Netherlands.
7:04
There's an S there.
7:05
It's a plural.
7:06
The Philippines.
7:08
It's a plural.
7:09
Let's compare.
7:10
They visited France last summer.
7:13
No.
7:14
The They visited the United Kingdom last summer.
7:19
I would love to go to Korea.
7:22
I would love to go to the Philippines.
7:25
I know this is a lot of information,
7:27
but I just have a few more rules for you
7:30
and then you will take a review quiz where you will get a chance
7:33
to practice.
7:34
Let's talk about universities.
7:36
Let's look at these sentences.
7:39
She goes to Harvard University.
7:42
Know the.
7:43
So for universities, no the he got accepted to Stanford,
7:48
but she studied at the University of California.
7:52
Why do we use the with this one?
7:54
Here is the rule.
7:56
Don't usethe' with schools and universities.
7:59
However, if the word of is in the name of the school,
8:03
then we would use the.
8:06
So, we say he goes to Stanford University,
8:09
but he goes to the University of California or the University of Michigan.
8:15
Let's look at time expressions.
8:18
Sometimes we say next and sometimes we say the next.
8:22
Sometimes we say last and sometimes we say the last.
8:26
Let's learn the rule.
8:28
Don't use the with next and last when referring to a time from now.
8:34
For example, I'm going to Italy next week.
8:38
It would be incorrect to say I'm going to Italy the next week.
8:42
We had dinner last night.
8:44
I'll call you next Monday.
8:47
However, we do use the with next
8:50
and last when we refer to another time from the past
8:53
or when we're telling a story.
8:55
For example, we say he arrived the next day.
8:59
I was telling someone a story about what happened maybe a few months ago.
9:04
And then I say this happened
9:05
and then the next day
9:08
that happened which is similar to ordinal numbers.
9:11
For example, the first, the second, the last.
9:16
So remember for ordinal numbers, the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th,
9:23
the 20th, the 100th,
9:25
we need the This is the first time I'm doing that.
9:30
He lives on the fourth floor.
9:33
Let's compare these two sentences.
9:35
I finished chapter 2.
9:38
I finished the second chapter.
9:41
I'm on the third page.
9:44
I'm on page three.
9:47
So for cardinal numbers 1 2 3 4 we don't use the.
9:52
For ordinal numbers first second third fourth we use the.
9:57
Okay let's learn one more rule.
10:00
Let's talk about dates.
10:02
When do we use the
10:04
when we're talking about dates
10:05
and when do we omit it?
10:07
Use the when the date comes before the month.
10:10
The 5th of July. the 1st of January, the 25th of December.
10:18
But we don't use the when the month comes first.
10:22
So we say July 1st, December 25th, February 2nd.
10:29
Let's look at these two sentences.
10:31
Her birthday is on May 7th.
10:35
Her birthday is on the 7th of May.
10:39
American Independence Day is on July 4th.
10:43
And how do we say it with the?
10:45
American Independence Day is on the 4th of July.
10:50
There are other rules with the
10:52
and not using the
10:53
but we will stop here.
10:55
Let's review them.
10:56
How do you feel?
10:57
Are you a little bit overwhelmed?
10:59
It can be overwhelming.
11:00
Let's take a little review quiz.
11:02
I will show you two sentences
11:04
and you decide whether we need the
11:07
or we don't.
11:08
And then if you've made a lot of mistakes,
11:10
I recommend that you watch this video again and practice some more.
11:14
Let's look at the first example.
11:16
Do we need the or no the?
11:18
Which sentence is correct?
11:20
A or B?
11:22
A.
11:23
I go to the school every day.
11:26
B.
11:27
I go to school every day.
11:29
Which one is it?
11:32
The correct answer is B.
11:34
I go to school every day.
11:36
It's an activity.
11:37
Let's look at the next one.
11:39
Which one is correct?
11:40
The class ends at noon or B.
11:44
Class ends at noon.
11:46
Which one is it?
11:49
The correct answer is B.
11:51
Class ends at noon.
11:54
Once again, it's an activity.
11:56
How about this one?
11:56
A or B?
11:58
He's going to the bed now.
12:00
Or B.
12:01
He's going to bed now.
12:05
Once again, the correct answer is B.
12:08
He's going to bed.
12:09
It's an activity.
12:10
Let's look at the next one.
12:12
A.
12:13
I'm learning to play the piano.
12:16
B.
12:17
I'm learning to play piano.
12:20
Which one is it?
12:24
The correct answer is A.
12:26
I'm learning to play the piano.
12:28
Remember, with play and a musical instrument,
12:31
we need the play the piano. play the drums and so on.
12:36
How about this one?
12:37
A I left work early.
12:41
B.
12:42
I left the work early.
12:44
Which one is it?
12:49
The correct answer is A.
12:50
I left work early.
12:52
How about this one?
12:54
A.
12:55
He's in prison.
12:57
B.
12:57
He's in the prison.
13:00
Which one is correct?
13:02
The correct answer is a.
13:04
He's in prison.
13:05
However, we can also possibly say he is in the prison.
13:10
If we say something like this,
13:11
he is in the prison which is located outside of town.
13:16
In that case, if you want to specify
13:18
which prison it is
13:19
and we are talking about the physical building,
13:22
it's possible to say he is in the prison, meaning in that specific prison.
13:27
But if you just want to say that he is a prisoner,
13:30
you would say he is in prison.
13:32
Let's look at the next one.
13:34
Which one is American English?
13:36
She's in hospital or B, she's in the hospital.
13:43
In American English, we use the with hospital.
13:47
She's in the hospital.
13:49
In British English, they say she's in hospital.
13:53
How about this one?
13:54
A.
13:55
I visited the Lake Tahoe.
13:58
B.
13:59
I visited Lake Tahoe.
14:03
The correct answer is B.
14:05
I visited Lake Tahoe.
14:07
Nothe' for lakes.
14:09
How about this one?
14:10
A.
14:11
She goes to Harvard University.
14:14
B.
14:15
She goes to the Harvard University.
14:19
Which one is correct?
14:22
A.
14:22
She goes to Harvard University.
14:24
For universities, we don't use the.
14:27
And what is the exception?
14:28
When do we use the for universities?
14:31
Do you remember?
14:32
We use the when the university has the word of in the name.
14:37
The University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, and so on.
14:43
Let's look at the next one.
14:45
A.
14:46
I've always wanted to climb the Mount Everest.
14:49
B.
14:50
I've always wanted to climb Mount Everest.
14:53
Which one is correct?
14:56
The correct answer is B.
14:57
No the.
14:59
No the when there's only one mountain.
15:02
How about this one?
15:03
A.
15:04
The Amazon River is in South America.
15:07
B.
15:08
Amazon River is in South America.
15:11
What's the correct answer?
15:14
The correct answer is A.
15:16
The Amazon River is in South America.
15:19
For rivers, we need the.
15:21
And here is the final question.
15:23
A.
15:24
Her birthday is on May 6th.
15:27
Her birthday is on the May 6th.
15:32
The correct answer is May 6th.
15:35
No.
15:35
The But if we're going to put the day first and then the month,
15:39
then we would say the 6th of May.
15:43
How did you do on the quiz?
15:44
How many mistakes did you make?
15:46
If you only made one or two mistakes, good job.
15:50
If you made more than that,
15:52
I recommend that you watch the video again
15:54
and practice again and maybe write these rules down.
15:58
Thanks for watching and keep practicing your English.
16:01
Take your English to the final level of fluency with my online courses.
16:06
The American accent course,
16:08
the 400 advanced words you must know for fluent English course,
16:13
and the phrasal verbs for fluent English course.
16:16
Go to accurateenglish.com.
Like
Share
AccurateEnglish
View all →
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
13:36
How to Pronounce American States and Cities
AccurateEnglish
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
15:09
The Rhythm for English Speaking (How Americans Really Speak)
AccurateEnglish
B1
General
Karaoke
8:35
Part 2 - How to Apologize to Clients and Customers - Professional English
AccurateEnglish
4
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
18:37
If you laugh, you're fluent. Understanding jokes in English.
AccurateEnglish
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
13:20
Fix Your Grammar Mistakes - Don't Add an S to These Common Words
AccurateEnglish
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
16:47
Confusing English Words - Do You Make These Mistakes?
AccurateEnglish
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
16:46
English Fluency Practice with Today's News - vocabulary and accent
AccurateEnglish
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
15:59
Fix Your Prepositions Mistakes
AccurateEnglish
Suggested videos
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
20:12
ONE language, THREE accents - UK vs. USA vs. AUS English! (+ Free PDF)
English with Lucy
4
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
8:51
DO NOT say "you're welcome"! Respond to "thank you" PROPERLY!
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
16:36
SELF INTRODUCTION | How to Introduce Yourself in English | Tell Me About Yourself Interview Answer
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
12:51
20 Different Ways To Wish ‘Happy Birthday’ & 'Happy Anniversary' (+ Free PDF & Quiz)
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
10:21
5 things to practice every day to improve your English communication skills
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
29:52
Learn ALL 16 TENSES Easily in under 30 Minutes - Present, Past, Future, Conditional +Free PDF & Quiz
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
11:18
DO NOT say "how are you?"! Ask the question in a better way!
English with Lucy
B1
English lessons
Karaoke
9:08
You are absolutely fluent in English if you can understand these
English with Lucy
