Real ESL

Here’s an explanation of a basic part of English grammar: using the + a place.

If you take time to practice each rule for using the, a and an, you’ll master articles!

(to master something = to become an expert at something, to be very good at something)
(articles = a, an, the)

After you watch this, practice using the + a place. Remember, the purpose of the place must be more important than the actual place itself. Read the transcript and vocabulary explanation below if you don’t understand.

Video Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation:

Today I’m going to talk to you about using “the”.

Now why am I in the kitchen?
Because I’m preparing for my daughter’s first birthday.
And I have an avocado because I’m going to make guacamole.
I have a bunch of foods I’m going to prepare, so we’ll talk about that in the next blog post.

But right now what I want to talk to you about is … I want to talk to you about some of the things we’ve done to prepare for this.

One thing we did yesterday is I went to the bank.
I went to the toy store to buy a toy.
And, um, after that, we went to the park. My two girls had to have some fun.
And then, let’s see, this morning, my husband has gone to the grocery store.

Okay. Did you hear that?
The grocery store. The bank. The park.
Why do I use THE in front of all of these places when it’s the first time I’ve said the word?

It’s because when the purpose of the place is more important than the actual place itself, we say “the”.
The Park - we’re really talking about the purpose - playing, going on the swings, that kind of thing
THE Bank - the purpose of getting money is more important.
Now, if I want to tell you about a bank in which the bank tellers are very friendly, okay, then, I say “a”.
But that’s not important, the place; in the case I’m talking about, the place is not important, it’s the purpose of the place.
In that case, use “the” plus the place.