Kata “the” adalah salah satu kata yang paling umum dalam bahasa Inggris. Kata benda dalam bahasa Inggris yang didahului oleh the merupakan kata yang pembicara percaya bahwa pendengar sudah tahu apa yang dia maksudkan. Pembicara mungkin percaya ini karena berbagai alasan, beberapa di antaranya tercantum di bawah ini.
KAPAN KITA MENGGUNAKAN “THE”
PERATURAN UMUM
Gunakan the untuk merujuk kepada sesuatu yang telah disebutkan.
CONTOH
- A man robbed $10.000 from the bank on Sunday. The robber hasn’t been caught yet.
- Patrick was walking past Crusty Crab when He decided to go into the cafe to get some patty.
- There’s a position available in my squad. The position will involve some attacking strategy.
Gunakan the ketika Kita menganggap hanya ada satu dari sesuatu di suatu tempat, bahkan jika itu belum disebutkan sebelumnya.
CONTOH
- Patrick went on a walk in the forest last week.
- Where is the toilet?
- Turn left and go to number 50. Our office is across from the Chinese restaurant.
- My sister enjoyed the book her boyfriend gave her.
Gunakan the dalam kalimat atau klausa dimana Kita mendefinisikan atau mengidentifikasi orang atau objek tertentu.
CONTOH
- The woman who wrote this novel is famous.
- Patrick scratched the white car parked outside.
- Patrick live in the big house with a green door.
- Patrick is the doctor Sandy came to see.
Gunakan the untuk merujuk kepada orang-orang atau benda yang unik.
CONTOH
- The sun rose at 5:45 this morning.
- Patrick can go anywhere in the world.
- Cabs drifted across the street.
- The prime minister will be speaking on radio tomorrow.
- The CEO of Suzuki is coming to our office.
Gunakan the sebelum superlatives dan ordinal numbers.
CONTOH
- This is the highest tower in Tokyo.
- Patrick read the last chapter of his new novel first.
- Patrick is the tallest person in our family.
- This is the sixth time I have called my son today.
Gunakan the dengan adjectives, untuk merujuk kepada sekelompok orang.
CONTOH
- The Italian enjoy cheese.
- The elderly require lots of attention.
- Patrick has given a lot of meal to the poor.
Gunakan the dengan decades.
CONTOH
- Patrick was born in the eighties.
- This is a masterpiece from the 1840’s.
Gunakan the dengan kalimat yang diawali dengan only
CONTOH
- This is the only month you’ve had sunshine all week.
- Patrick is the only person she will listen to.
- The only coffee Patrick likes is black tea.
KATA BENDA YANG HARUS MENGGUNAKAN THE
Gunakan the dengan nama-nama wilayah geografis, sungai, pegunungan, kelompok pulau-pulau, kanal, dan lautan.
CONTOH
- Patrick is travelling in the Atlantic.
- Patricks’ ship crossed the Atlantic in 30 days.
- Patrick will go on a cruise down the Nile.
- Hiking across the Himalaya Mountains would be difficult.
Gunakan the dengan negara-negara yang memiliki nama jamak
CONTOH
- Patrick has never been to the Netherlands.
- Does Patrick know anyone who comes in the Philippines?
Gunakan the dengan negara-negara yang mengunakan kata-kata “republic”, “kingdom”, atau “states” dalam nama mereka.
CONTOH
- Patrick is visiting the United States.
- Patrick is from the Republic of Ireland.
Gunakan the dengan nama surat kabar.
CONTOH
- Patrick reads it in the Guardian.
- Sandy works for the Jakarta Times.
Gunakan the dengan nama-nama bangunan terkenal, karya seni, museum, atau monumen.
CONTOH
- Have you been to the Japan Memorial?
- We went to New york and saw the Liberty.
- Patrick would like to visit the Pisa Tower.
- Patrick saw King Lear at the Globe.
Gunakan the dengan nama-nama hotel & restoran, kecuali tempat tersebut diberi nama dengan nama seseorang.
CONTOH
- Patrick is staying at the Hilton on 6th street.
- Patrick ate at the Begadang.
Gunakan the dengan nama-nama keluarga, tetapi tidak dengan nama-nama orang.
CONTOH
- Patrick is having dinner with the Johnsons tonight.
- The Fosters are going to the play with me.
KAPAN TIDAK MENGGUNAKAN “THE”
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama-nama negara (kecuali untuk kasus-kasus khusus di atas).
CONTOH
- Japan is an important economic power.
- Patrick ‘s just returned from Nepal.
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama-nama bahasa.
CONTOH
- Chinese is spoken in Indonesia.
- Indonesian uses many words of Arabic origin.
- Indonesian is a relatively new language.
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama-nama makanan.
CONTOH
- Apple pie is my favorite meal.
- Patrick likes to eat breakfast.
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama orang.
CONTOH
- Patrick is coming over later.
- Patrick Carpenter is my servant.
Jangan gunakan the dengan gelar bila dikombinasikan dengan nama.
CONTOH
- Prince Richard is Queen Elizabeth’s grandson.
- President JFK was assassinated in Dallas.
Jangan gunakan the setelah kata kepemilikan
CONTOH
- Patrick ‘s car was stolen.
- Patrick ‘s house is over here.
Jangan gunakan the dengan profesi
CONTOH
- Engineering is a great career.
- Patrick ‘ll probably study politic.
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama-nama toko
CONTOH
- Patrick ‘ll get the card at Lautan Teduh’s.
- Can we go to Boots for her?
Jangan gunakan the dengan tahun
CONTOH
- 1880 was a wonderful year.
- Patrick was born in 1994.
Jangan gunakan the dengan kata benda tak terhitung
CONTOH
- Rice is an important food in Indonesia.
- Milk is often added to coffee in Europe.
- War is destructive.
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama-nama gunung, danau dan pulau-pulau
CONTOH
- Mount Semeru is the highest mountain in Java.
- Patrick lives near Lake Toba.
- Have you visited Samosir Island?
Jangan gunakan the dengan nama sebagian besar kota-kota, jalan-jalan, stasiun dan bandara
CONTOH
- Kampung Rambutan Station is in the centre ofJakarta.
- Can you direct me to SukarnoHatta Street?
- Patrick lives in Florence.
- We’re flying into Heathrow.
