Grammar: Word classes: Determiners: Referring to specific people, things, etc

Definite article (the)

Using the to point forwards

When we use the definite article the to point forward, we point to one of two elements in the noun group :

	Post-Modifier, eg the flat of the Gong family
	Pre-Modifier, eg the water thief

Pointing to Post-Modifiers in the noun group

The definite article the often points forward to a Post-Modifier :

The first the in the noun group the dark waters of the harbour tells us that the writer is pointing to particular dark waters yet this is the first time dark waters have been mentioned. It is not until we read the words of the harbour that we know which dark waters the writer is pointing to. 

A wording like of the harbour following the Thing in a noun group is called Post-Modifier. In this example, the Post-Modifier of the harbour helps us to answer a question such as 'which dark waters?'

There are several types of Post-Modifiers which the may point to:

The definite article the before the Head noun in each example tells us that the identity of the noun is known to us, and the Post-Modifier following the noun tells us what it actually is.

Post-Modifiers do not always identify the person or thing the noun points to:

Get me a big bag full of sleep.                             Post-Modifier

Here the Post-Modifier full of sleep provides further information about the big bag but it does not identify it; it could be any big bag, and so we use the indefinite article a (a general determiner) here rather than the definite article the (a specific determiner). 

Pointing to Pre-Modifiers in the noun group

The definite article the may point forward to a Pre-Modifier :

The definite article the in the noun group the dining table tells us that the writer is pointing to a particular table. The Pre-Modifier dining specifies the table and, in context, identifies it (unless there are two dining tables).

A Classifier such as dining in dining table is called ‘Pre-Modifier’. In this example, the Pre-Modifier helps us to answer a question such as 'which table?' There are several types of Pre-Modifiers which the may point to:

The definite article the in each example tells us that the identity of the noun is known to us, and the Pre-Modifier following the article tells us what it actually is.

The with superlative adjectives

We also use the definite article the to point forward with superlative adjectives (biggest, smallest, prettiest, most beautiful, most expensive):

Granny Gong is the cleverest grandmother in Hong Kong.

The superlative adjective cleverest provides identifying information, ie there can only be one grandmother that is the cleverest in Hong Kong. 

For more information about some of the problems that students have using the to point forwards, click here:

Note that the terms Classifier, Describer, Head, Pre-Modifier, Post-Modifier, Quantifier and Thing are written with an initial capital to remind us that they are functional terms.