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by R. S. Karunaratne
Omission of 'the' in sentences
The definite article (the) is usually omitted when we talk about
things or people in general.
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Those who eat apples are healthy. |
We are afraid of poisonous snakes.
Soldiers lead uncomfortable lives.
Madhuri collects coins and medals. She is a numismatist.
Beware of wet paint!
Poverty is a big problem in developing countries.
Life is full of ups and downs.
I am not interested in modern art.
The dictator has decided to relinquish his grip on power.
Jane's favourite sport is athletics.
My favourite subject at school was literature.
He warned me to beware of pickpockets.
My sister is a nurse. She likes working with people.
Some people do not like cats.
Lalith never steps into fast food restaurants.
As a vegetarian I do not eat meat and fish.
History repeats itself.
I know that you are capable of telling lies.
You need patience to teach English.
Those who eat apples are healthy.
Do you know what makes people violent?
War is necessary to crush terrorism.
Unemployment is raising its ugly head.
"Marriages are made in heaven", they say.
Family life is the basis of society.
Everyone enjoys good luck at some point.
Which birds fly at night?
When was paper first made?
We do not use 'the' with names of
people.
Anagarika Dharmapala is a national hero.
Madhuri Dixit was very popular in Bollywood.
William Shakespeare is my favourite dramatist.
George Washington was the first US President.
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I am not interested in modern art. |
Sarachchandra was a great literary figure.
'The' is omitted when we write names
of cities, countries and continents.
Australia is the smallest continent.
French is mainly spoken in France.
Japan has developed rapidly in science and technology.
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean.
Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
Do not use 'the' with titles.
Mr. Paranavithane was a great archaeologist.
Mrs. Perera appears in some television advertisements.
Captain Janaka is on the verge of retirement.
Can you remember Dr. Watson in detective stories?
Uncle Samson spends money for my education.
Saint Anthony has miraculous powers.
Professor James Seneviratne will address the meeting now.
Have you seen Queen Elizabeth?
We are going to channel Dr. Bimsara Senanayake.
We do not use 'the' with names of
lakes and mountains.
Can you ever think of climbing Mount Everest?
They live near Lake Constance.
We use north, south, east, west and a
place name without 'the'.
The Smiths now live in North America.
Multiple choice
In the following sentences the underlined words can be replaced by
one of the alternatives from A to D. Indicate which is correct.
1. The man appeared to be a person who had betrayed his country.
(a) Spy, (b) pirate, (c) traitor, (d) democrat
2. The wounded soldier uttered a shrill cry of terror.
(a) sigh, (b) shriek, (c) grunt, (d) moan
3. He was notorious for his greed and his actions were concerned only
with making money.
(a) mercenary, (b) grabbing, (c) economical, (d) grasping
4. My class teacher has been my trusted adviser.
(a) master, (b) mentor, (c) philosopher, (d) friend
5. 'Shut' and 'close' are words having the same meaning.
(a) synonyms, (b) antonyms, (c) homonyms, (d) homophones
6. The demand for powerful computers is impossible to satisfy.
(a) great, (b) insatiable, (c) unsatisfactory, (d) minimal
7. This tree is of the type that loses its leaves every year.
(a) untidy, (b) evergreen, (c) bushy, (d) deciduous
8. Kumari works in a school for very young children.
(a) kindergarten, (b) nursery, (c) playschool, (d) classroom
9. Their position as consultants can be interpreted in more than one
way.
(a) misunderstood, (b) ambiguous, (c) mistaken, (d) wrong
10. Meemana Prematilleke and P.B. Alwis Perera were poets who
belonged to the same period.
(a) playwrights, (b) writers, (c) contemporaries, (d) poets
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