The definite article The is used when we talk about a particular person or thing or one already mentioned. eg,
- Give me the book which you bought yesterday.
- The dress you want is out of stock.
- I met a girl. The girl was beautiful.
When a singular noun represents a whole class. eg,
- The lotus is a beautiful flower.
- The cat loves comfort.
- The banyan is a useful tree.
Before the first noun in ‘noun + preposition + noun’ construction. eg,
- The Bharat of Ramayana is an ideal brother.
- The gold of India is famous.
- She likes the sweets of Jaipur.
Before names of mountain-ranges. eg,
- The Alps
- The Himalayas
- The Vindhyas
Before names of groups of islands. eg,
- The Andamans
- The Hebrides
- The West Indies
Before names of rivers, oceans, gulfs, deserts and forests. eg,
- The Ganges, The Amazon, The Nile
- The Arabian Sea, The Pacific Ocean, The Indian Ocean, The Persian Gulf, The Gulf of Mexico, The Sahara, The Black Forest
Before names of religious and mythological books. eg,
The Veda, The Ramayana, The Bible
Before names of newspapers and magazines. eg,
The Hindustan Times, the Times of India, the Statesman
Before names of heavenly bodies, directions and things unique of their kind. eg,
The earth, The sun, The moon, The east, The north, The equator
Note: ‘The’ is generally not used before the words ‘Heaven, Hell, God, Parliament’.
Before names of historical buildings, places and events. eg,
The Taj Mahal, The Red Fort, The Pyramids, The Kaba, The Kurukshetra, The French Revolution
Before musical instruments. eg,
- He can play the guitar.
- She is fond of playing on the piano.
Note: When musical instruments are used as countable nouns, A/AN is used. eg,
- We gave her a harmonium.
- I have bought a violin.
Before religious communities and political parties. eg,
The Hindus, The Muslims, The Sikhs, The BJP, The Congress Party, The Janata Dal
Before names of ships, aeroplanes and trains. eg,
The Virat, The Vikrant, The Meghdoot
The Shatabdi Express, The Punjab Mail, The Rajdhani Express
Before the words denoting physical positions. eg,
The top, The bottom, The centre The inside, The front, The back
Before parts of body. eg,
1) He was hit on the head.
2) She pulled the cat by the tail.
3) You caught me by the arm.
Before names of government departments and armed forces. eg,
The Judiciary, The Legislative, The Executive, The Army, The Navy, The Air Force
Before the dates of months. eg,
The 6th February, The 21st of December
Before the superlative degree. eg,
- Honesty is the best policy.
- She is the tallest girl in the class.
- The rose is the sweetest of all flowers.
Before the names of a few countries and provinces. eg,
The USA, The USSR, The Netherlands, The Sudan, The Punjab
Before comparative degree in case of a choice. eg,
- She is the prettier of the two sisters.
- He is the stronger of the two
Before the ordinals. eg, – The first, The third, The ninth