When should you use the word -the- in English? Today, in #1 of the Top 15 Fixes series, we discuss the most common article in the English language, -the-! Come back to our site - Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training now - Use if-the word -the- can be a confusing.-But there are some rules that can help you get it right most of the time. - The first requires that you consider whether the focus is on something specific, or something more general. When focused on specific items, use -the-.-If you-re sitting at a table, talking about the food that is actually in front of you, you might say: -Do you like the turkey?- -Yes, the turkey is great!- -Could you please pass the salt?- When focused on more general terms, you don-t use -the-.-If you-re discussing food in general, you might say: -Do you like turkey?- -Have you tried pumpkin pie?- -Cranberries are too tart for me.- - Geographical terms can also be tricky for -the-.-In most cases, large, well-known geographic places will have -the-: the content, the Pacific Ocean, the moon. With specific countries, a country-s formal name might require -the,- while a less formal name might not: the United States, the Russian Federation; America, Russia. - Other Entries in the 15 Fixes Series: Episode 165: Listen or Hear? Episode 169: Speak, Talk, Tell and Say? Episode 173:-Wish vs. Hope Episode 177: Talking About Age in English Episode 181: Future Tense in English Episode 185: Interested or Interesting? Episode 189: Talking About the Past Episode 193: How to Borrow Money Episode 197: Who Pays for Lunch? Episode 201: Will vs. Going To Episode 205: Talking about People Episode 209: How much versus How many Episode 213: Make vs. Do Episode 217: By Yourself vs. On Your Own - What have you found difficult about -the-? Tell us all about it in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices