Blog about English
Using the with unique objects such as the sun, the moon and the internet.
Use the with things that are unique because only one exists.
Examples include the sun, the moon, the Earth, the sky and the universe.
The sun is shining today.
Сегодня светит солнце.
The sun is naturally unique in ordinary contexts.
The moon was bright last night.
Прошлой ночью луна была яркой.
The moon is treated as a unique object in ordinary usage.
The Earth moves around the sun.
Земля движется вокруг Солнца.
The Earth is a naturally unique celestial body in this context.
The sky was completely clear this morning.
Сегодня утром небо было совершенно ясным.
The sky is treated as the unique sky surrounding the speaker.
Scientists are studying the universe.
Ученые изучают Вселенную.
The universe refers to the unique totality of space and matter.
The world is changing quickly.
Мир быстро меняется.
The world can refer to the unique world as a whole.
The atmosphere protects life on Earth.
Атмосфера защищает жизнь на Земле.
The atmosphere refers to the unique layer surrounding Earth.
The environment depends on the balance between many natural systems.
Окружающая среда зависит от баланса между множеством природных систем.
The environment is treated as the unique environment in the general context.
Use the when there is only one possible person or thing in the situation.
Examples include the door, the kitchen, the manager and the bathroom when both the speaker and listener know which one is meant.
Please close the door.
Пожалуйста, закрой дверь.
The speaker expects the listener to know which door is meant from the situation.
The kitchen is at the back of the house.
Кухня находится в задней части дома.
The kitchen is understood as the particular kitchen in this house.
Ask the manager if you need help.
Спроси менеджера, если тебе нужна помощь.
The manager refers to the person occupying the relevant role in the situation.
The bathroom is upstairs.
Ванная находится наверху.
The bathroom identifies the relevant bathroom in the building.
Put the keys on the table.
Положи ключи на стол.
The table is identifiable from the shared situation.
The printer is out of paper.
В принтере закончилась бумага.
In the relevant office, the printer is understood to be a particular identifiable machine.
The meeting starts in ten minutes.
Собрание начинается через десять минут.
The meeting refers to the particular meeting known from the situation.
The manager asked everyone to send the final report before Friday.
Менеджер попросил всех отправить итоговый отчет до пятницы.
Both manager and final report are identifiable from the workplace context.
Use the with parts of a building, town or other place that are understood to be unique.
Examples include the roof, the ground floor, the entrance, the town centre and the reception.
The roof needs to be repaired.
Крышу нужно отремонтировать.
The roof is the identifiable roof of the building being discussed.
Our apartment is on the third floor.
Наша квартира находится на третьем этаже.
The third floor identifies a particular level of the building.
The entrance is on the left.
Вход находится слева.
The entrance is uniquely identifiable in the immediate location.
Meet me at the reception.
Встреть меня у стойки регистрации.
The reception identifies the particular reception area in the building.
The elevator is at the end of the hall.
Лифт находится в конце коридора.
The elevator refers to the identifiable elevator in that building.
The town center is about ten miles from here.
Центр города находится примерно в десяти милях отсюда.
The town center refers to the central part of the particular town.
The entrance to the museum is around the corner.
Вход в музей находится за углом.
The entrance identifies the relevant entrance of the museum.
The ground floor contains the main lobby and the reception area.
На первом этаже находятся главный вестибюль и стойка регистрации.
The ground floor refers to the unique level of the building.
Use the with certain institutions when referring to them as unique bodies.
Examples include the government, the police, the army and the judiciary.
The government announced a new economic plan.
Правительство объявило о новом экономическом плане.
The government refers to the governing body of the country or jurisdiction under discussion.
Call the police if you need help.
Позвони в полицию, если тебе нужна помощь.
The police refers to the public law-enforcement body.
The army was sent to help after the disaster.
Армию направили на помощь после катастрофы.
The army refers to the national armed force viewed as a unique institution.
The judiciary is responsible for interpreting the law.
Судебная система отвечает за толкование закона.
The judiciary refers to the judicial branch as an institution.
The government is considering changes to the tax system.
Правительство рассматривает изменения в налоговой системе.
The government identifies the governing body relevant to the context.
The police are investigating the incident.
Полиция расследует этот инцидент.
The police refers to the institution as a whole.
The federal government published the new regulations yesterday.
Федеральное правительство опубликовало новые правила вчера.
The identifies the particular government system being discussed.
The judiciary plays a central role in maintaining the separation of powers.
Судебная система играет центральную роль в поддержании разделения властей.
The judiciary refers to a unique branch of government.
Use the with natural features viewed as unique.
Examples include the countryside, the environment, the weather and the climate.
The weather is beautiful today.
Сегодня прекрасная погода.
The weather refers to the weather conditions in the current context.
The climate is changing around the world.
Климат меняется по всему миру.
The climate refers to the overall climate system or a specific region when context provides it.
We spent the weekend in the countryside.
Мы провели выходные за городом.
The countryside refers to rural land considered as a general geographical area.
We should protect the environment.
Мы должны защищать окружающую среду.
The environment is treated as the shared natural environment.
The weather in Arizona is usually very dry in summer.
Летом погода в Аризоне обычно очень сухая.
The weather refers to the weather conditions in a particular place.
The climate of the Southwest is generally hot and dry.
Климат юго-запада в целом жаркий и сухой.
The climate is made specific by the following of-phrase.
The natural environment around the lake has changed significantly.
Природная среда вокруг озера значительно изменилась.
The identifies the particular environment around the lake.
Scientists are studying how the climate and the environment interact over time.
Ученые изучают, как климат и окружающая среда взаимодействуют с течением времени.
Both nouns refer to broadly identifiable systems in the context.
Use the with certain unique or globally recognized systems.
Examples include the internet, the media, the press and the radio. Usage may vary depending on the expression.
I found the information on the internet.
Я нашел информацию в интернете.
The internet is normally treated as a globally recognized system.
The media reported the story this morning.
СМИ сообщили об этой истории сегодня утром.
The media refers collectively to major news media organizations.
The press criticized the decision.
Пресса раскритиковала решение.
The press refers collectively to newspapers and journalists.
My grandfather still listens to the radio every morning.
Мой дедушка до сих пор слушает радио каждое утро.
The radio is a standard expression for the medium or service.
The internet has changed the way people communicate.
Интернет изменил то, как люди общаются.
The internet refers to the globally recognized network.
The media often focuses on major political events.
СМИ часто сосредотачиваются на крупных политических событиях.
The media refers to the media as a collective institution or sector.
She heard the announcement on the radio while driving home.
Она услышала объявление по радио, когда ехала домой.
The radio is used for the medium of radio broadcasting.
The press and the media have played different roles in covering the election.
Пресса и СМИ сыграли разную роль в освещении выборов.
The press and the media are treated as identifiable institutions or sectors.
Use the with the names of historical periods and eras.
Examples include the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Stone Age and the Industrial Revolution.
The Middle Ages lasted for many centuries.
Средние века длились много веков.
The is conventionally used with the name of this historical period.
The Renaissance transformed European art and culture.
Эпоха Возрождения преобразила европейское искусство и культуру.
The is part of the conventional name Renaissance.
The Stone Age began thousands of years ago.
Каменный век начался тысячи лет назад.
The is used with the name of the historical era.
The Industrial Revolution changed manufacturing around the world.
Промышленная революция изменила производство во всем мире.
The is conventionally used with the historical period name.
Many people moved to cities during the Industrial Revolution.
Многие люди переехали в города во время промышленной революции.
The identifies the specific historical period.
The Enlightenment influenced political and philosophical thought.
Эпоха Просвещения повлияла на политическую и философскую мысль.
The is used with this historical era.
The Cold War shaped international politics for decades.
Холодная война десятилетиями определяла международную политику.
The is used with the established name of the historical period.
The early modern period bridges the Middle Ages and the modern era in many historical frameworks.
Период раннего Нового времени во многих исторических системах отсчета соединяет Средневековье и современную эпоху.
The is used because the noun phrase identifies a defined historical period.
Use the with the names of celestial bodies that normally take the definite article.
Examples include the Sun, the Moon and the Milky Way. Most planet names are used without an article, such as Mars and Venus.
The Sun is the center of our solar system.
Солнце — центр нашей Солнечной системы.
The Sun is a uniquely identified celestial body.
The Moon was full last night.
Прошлой ночью было полнолуние.
The Moon takes the in ordinary usage.
The Milky Way contains billions of stars.
Млечный Путь содержит миллиарды звезд.
The Milky Way is a named astronomical system that takes the.
Mars is often visible in the night sky.
Марс часто виден на ночном небе.
Most planet names, including Mars, do not take an article.
Venus is sometimes called the morning star.
Венеру иногда называют утренней звездой.
Venus normally occurs without an article, while the morning star is a separate definite noun phrase.
Scientists are studying the surface of the Moon.
Ученые изучают поверхность Луны.
The Moon is a standard definite astronomical name.
The Sun provides most of the energy that supports life on Earth.
Солнце обеспечивает большую часть энергии, поддерживающей жизнь на Земле.
The Sun is treated as a unique celestial object.
The Milky Way is one of many galaxies observed by modern telescopes.
Млечный Путь — одна из множества галактик, наблюдаемых современными телескопами.
The Milky Way is the conventional name of our galaxy.
Use the with unique roles or positions within a particular organization or context.
Examples include the president, the principal, the captain and the chairman when there is only one person holding the position.
The president will speak tonight.
Президент выступит сегодня вечером.
The president refers to the one person holding the relevant position.
The principal called the parents.
Директор вызвал родителей.
The principal refers to the unique principal of the school in context.
The captain welcomed the passengers.
Капитан поприветствовал пассажиров.
The captain identifies the one captain of the ship or flight.
The chairman opened the meeting.
Председатель открыл собрание.
The chairman refers to the unique person holding that position in the organization or meeting.
The manager wants to speak with you.
Менеджер хочет с вами поговорить.
The manager is identifiable because the situation has one relevant manager.
The head of the department approved the request.
Руководитель отдела одобрил запрос.
The identifies the unique person occupying the head position in that department.
The director asked the staff to stay after the meeting.
Директор попросил сотрудников остаться после собрания.
The director refers to the one relevant director in the organization.
The chairman and the secretary signed the final document before the meeting ended.
Председатель и секретарь подписали итоговый документ до окончания собрания.
Both roles are identifiable because each has one relevant holder in the situation.
Use the only when uniqueness is clear from the context or from general knowledge.
Do not assume every important noun is unique. The definite article is used only when the listener can identify exactly which person or thing is meant because it is unique.
The sun is very bright today.
Сегодня солнце очень яркое.
The is appropriate because the sun is naturally unique.
Please open the window.
Пожалуйста, открой окно.
The is appropriate when there is one identifiable window in the situation.
I need a window for my office.
Мне нужно окно для моего офиса.
A is correct because the speaker is referring to one non-specific window, not a unique known object.
I saw a manager at the conference.
Я встретил менеджера на конференции.
A manager is correct because the speaker does not mean one uniquely identifiable manager.
The manager of our department approved the request.
Менеджер нашего отдела одобрил запрос.
The is required because the of-phrase identifies the specific manager.
The police arrived within ten minutes.
Полиция прибыла в течение десяти минут.
The police refers to the identifiable institution responsible for law enforcement.
We walked through a park near the hotel.
Мы гуляли по парку возле отеля.
A park introduces one non-specific park; it is not automatically unique just because it is important in the story.
The park behind our hotel is closed today.
Парк за нашим отелем сегодня закрыт.
The is justified because the phrase behind our hotel identifies exactly which park is meant.