Common errors in the use of the definite article the made by the students in grade 11 at yen lac high school

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this chance to express my greatest gratitude to Mr. Dang
Ngoc Nam, my supervisor, for his patience in providing continuous and careful
guidance as well as encouragement, indispensable suggestions and advice.
I am greatly indebted to the teachers of English at Yen Lac High School,
especially Mr. Pham Minh Thang for his help and guidance while I was carrying
out the survey.
I wish to thank all the lecturers at Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2,
especially the lecturers in the Foreign Language Faculty for their dedicated
instructions during my years of university work.
I am particularly grateful to my close friends for their enthusiasm and
kindness is helping me collect valuable reference documents and data for my
research.
Last but not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to my beloved family, for their
whole-hearted encouragement and endless support.

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ABSTRACT

The definite article “the” is an interesting category of English grammar. As a
part of speech, it is considered an adjective because it modifies a noun. It can play
the different functions. However, the uses of the definite article “the” referred to in
some books have not been deal with in full and sometimes cause confusion to
learners of English.
As a result, students of English often make errors when they use the definite
article “the”. Therefore, this research work entails studying the uses of the definite
article “the” and conducting a survey for error analysis.
Base on the results of the survey, the type of errors and causes have been

found. Solutions to the problems have been suggested.

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Title:
Common Errors in the Use of the Definite Article “The”
(Graduation paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of
Arts in English)

I certify that no part of the above report has been copied from any other
person’s work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written
by me under instructions of my supervisor.

Date submitted: May 2013

Student

Supervisor

Nguyen Thi Minh

Dang Ngoc Nam

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ iii
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ...................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ v

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
I- Rationale............................................................................................................... 1
II- Research presupposition ................................................................................... 2
III- Research objectives .......................................................................................... 3
IV- Research scope .................................................................................................. 3
V- Research tasks .................................................................................................... 3
VI- Research methods ............................................................................................. 4
VII- Significance of the proposed research........................................................... 4
VIII- Design of the research work ......................................................................... 5

PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1. Literature review in brief................................................................................. 6
I.2. The articles ........................................................................................................ 7
I.2.1. Definition ......................................................................................................... 7
I.2.2. Classification.................................................................................................... 8
I.3. The definite article “the” ................................................................................. 8
I.3.1. Definition ......................................................................................................... 8
I.3.2. Functions .......................................................................................................... 9
I.3.2.1. As a demonstrative adjective ........................................................................ 9
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I.3.2.2. As a possessive adjective .............................................................................. 9
I.3.2.3. As a quantifier ............................................................................................... 9
I.3.2.4. As a pre-determiner .................................................................................... 10
I.3.3. Uses ................................................................................................................ 10
I.3.3.1. The use of “the” for classifying .................................................................. 10
I.3.3.1.1. The group as a whole: “the” + nationality adjective ............................... 10
I.3.3.1.2. The group as a whole: “the” + plural names ........................................... 11
I.3.3.1.3. Specified group: “the” + collective noun or plural countable ................. 11
I.3.3.2. The use of “the” for specifying ................................................................... 11
I.3.3.2.1. Specifying by means of back- reference .................................................. 11
I.3.3.2.2. Specifying by means of “the” + noun + “of”........................................... 11
I.3.3.2.3. Specifying by means of clauses and phrases ........................................... 11
I.3.3.2.4. Specifying within a limited context ......................................................... 12
I.3.3.3. The use of “the” in time expressions .......................................................... 12
I.3.3.3.1. The use of “the” in time sequences.......................................................... 12
I.3.3.3.2. The use of “the” with parts of the day ..................................................... 13
I.3.3.3.3. The use of “the” with the seasons ............................................................ 13
I.3.3.3.4. The use of “the” in dates .......................................................................... 13
I.3.3.3.5. The use of “the” in fixed time expressions .............................................. 13
I.3.3.4. The use of “the” with unique items other than place names ...................... 13
I.3.3.5. Other references with “the” ........................................................................ 14
I.3.4. Differences between “the” and other articles ................................................ 14
I.3.4.1. Differences between “a/ an” and “the” ....................................................... 14
I.3.4.2. Differences between zero article and “the” ................................................ 15

CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF ARTICLE “THE”

II.1. Survey ............................................................................................................. 16
II.1.1. Purpose of the survey ................................................................................... 16

II.1.2. Population of the survey ............................................................................... 16
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II.1.3. Type of the survey ........................................................................................ 17
II.1.4. Construction of the survey............................................................................ 17
II.1.5. Preparation of the survey .............................................................................. 17
II.1.5.1. Test items ................................................................................................... 17
II.1.5.2. Arrangement of the test items ................................................................... 18
II.1.6. Administration of the try-out ........................................................................ 18
II.1.6.1. Preparation of the try-out........................................................................... 18
II.1.6.2. Try-out ....................................................................................................... 19
II.1.7. Method of data analysis ................................................................................ 19
II.1.8. Results of the survey .................................................................................... 19
II.2. Common errors and causes .......................................................................... 21
II.2.1. Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the indefinite article “a” . 21
II.2.2. Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the indefinite article “an”.21
II.2.3. Errors in the use of the article “the” and the zero article ............................. 22
II.2.4. Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the quantifiers ................. 22
II.2.5. Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the pre-determiners......... 23
II.2.6. Other common errors .................................................................................... 23
II.3. Suggested solutions and suggested exercises .............................................. 24
II.3.1. Suggested solutions ...................................................................................... 24
II.3.2. Suggested exercises ...................................................................................... 26

PART THREE
CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 27
REFERRENCES ................................................................................................... 29

APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 31
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE................................................................................ 31
SUGGESTED EXERCISES ................................................................................... 36
ZERO ARTICLE OR “THE” WITH PLACE NAMES ......................................... 41
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PART ONE
INTRODUCTION

I. RATIONALE
English is an international language and it’s used in many fields such as
finance and banking; commerce; politics; etc. As a result, people are rushing to
acquire this language and in Vietnam the learning and teaching English are now
mushrooming. However, to acquire this language is not easy at all. To some
extends, English is easier than other languages like Chinese, French, etc. For
instance, it is said that English words are much easier to write and memorize than
Chinese ones. But some aspects in English like its grammar and phonology are
complicated. In Vietnam, learners are facing some difficulties. In terms of
language, they find English difficult because beside its general rules, English
contains many exceptions like irregular verbs. Especially, Vietnamese learners find
English intonation is really complicated. In term of methodology, the teaching
English in Vietnam is not very good and not unified. In some parts of the country,
the teachers apply the traditional method. In other parts, they apply the CLT.
Furthermore, some teachers especially those who are in the countryside are not
qualified, which is sometimes the barrier preventing the progress of learners. In
short, though Vietnamese learners are trying to study English, the result doesn’t
come up to our expectations due to both subjective and objective causes.
In fact, for the language itself, many things should be mentioned like the
grammar, phonology, semantics, etc. Beginners of foreign language always meet

difficulties from the outset. The definite article “the” is one of the language
categories which is proved that English grammar is complex and often causes
embarrassment to students. Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are
many errors which may be made. Therefore, students of English are always faced
with many obstacles in using the definite article “the”. They do not know how to
use the definite article “the” correctly and they often confuse between the
indefinite, the zero and the definite article. For example:
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Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
He is a man for a job! None other can do it so well.
With the aims of helping students of English to overcome these difficulties
as well as a prospective teacher, I would like to make a contribution to the English
teaching in Vietnam. For the reasons above, this thesis is conducted, which focuses
on errors in the use of the definite article “the” among the students of English in
grade 11 at Yen Lac High School.
II. RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION
With regard to the errors quoted above, the correct version could be:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
He is the man for the job! None other can do it so well.
Some questions are raised:
1) What kinds of errors are made by the students of English in grade 11 at
Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013?
2) What kinds of errors in the use of the definite article “the” is the most
often made by the eleventh-grade students of English at Yen Lac High
School in the academic year of 2012/2013?
3) What are the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article “the”
made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic
year of 2012/2013?

4) What are some effective ways that help the students in grade 11 at Yen
Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 overcome these
difficulties in the use of the definite article “the”?
Based on the questions above, I am eager to learn about the problems and
make an error analysis in the definite article “the” so that the major errors in the
use of the definite article may be found.

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III. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The study is aimed at the following goals:
1) To find out the kinds of errors made by the eleventh-grade students of
English at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 in using the
definite article "the".
2) To find out the main errors in the use of the definite article "the" most
often made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic
year of 2012/2013.
3) To find out the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article "the"
made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of
2012/2013.
4) To find the best solutions to the problems throughout the survey. The
solutions might be concentrated on both theory and practice, in which some
teaching techniques are also introduced with the goal of minimizing students’
errors in Yen Lac High School.
IV. RESEARCH SCOPE
The general research area of this study is grammar.
The phenomenon is errors in the use of the definite article "the" made by the
students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013.
Others relating to the definite article "the" are also brief mentioned.

The population involved in the study is eighty eleventh-grade students of
English (11A4, 11A5) at Yen Lac High School
V. RESEARCH TASKS
The study involves fulfilling the following tasks:
1) To study the definition and characteristics of the definite article "the".
2) To research into the functions and uses of the definite article "the"
3) To compare and contrast the definite article "the" and the indefinite article
“a, an”.

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4) To conduct a survey to find out error types and causes. On the basis of the
findings, possible solutions to the problems are found to minimize the
students’ errors.
VI. RESEARCH METHODS
To achieve the objectives of the study, the following methods have been
applied:
1) Collecting documents from books listed in the references
2) Consulting the supervisor, experienced teachers and friends
3) Synthesizing theoretical documents on English grammar
4) Conducting a survey and analyzing the results
VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH
Errors in any language teaching and learning, particularly in English as a
foreign language, are sometimes predictable and sometimes unpredictable. It is,
therefore, essential for teachers to have better treatment to anticipate errors. After
the research, it is hoped that the results will be helpful to provide:
1) Input for learners of English in order to minimize their errors in the use of
the definite article "the".
2) Input for teachers of English with information on error types and

solutions to the problems so that they can have good methods of teaching the
definite article "the".
This study is also beneficial to anyone who is interested in the definite
article "the" in English.
VIII. DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH WORK
The research work has three main parts, namely: Introduction, Development,
and Conclusion. The part “Development” consists of two chapters. Chapter one is
entitled “Theoretical Background”. It consists of two sections. Section one reviews
literature in brief. The second one deals with things related to the definite article
"the" such as definition, characteristics, functions, and uses of the definite article
"the". Moreover, the differences between the definite article "the" and the
indefinite article “a, an”.
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Chapter two is named “Common Errors in the Use of the Definite Article
"The"”. It has three sections. Section one is devoted to the survey. The second
deals with error types and causes. The last one is on solutions to the problems and
suggested exercises on the definite article "the".

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PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

I.1. LITERATURE REVIEW IN BRIEF

The definite article has been described by many grammarians like Martin
Hewing (1999), Randolph Quirk (1985), Raymond Murphy (2004), Michael Swan
(1984), R. A. Close (1979) and so on. They each have their own way to describe
the definite article. Generally, they focus their attention on the definition, form,
pronunciation and their uses.
Martin Hewings (1999) in the book Advanced Grammar in Use pays much
attention to the uses of the definite article “the” in relation to the uses of the
indefinite articles “a/ an” and the zero article.
Randolph Quirk, et.al (1985) in A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language gives the specific and generic uses of the definite article “the”.
According to him, the specific uses of “the” can be divided into immediate
situation, larger situation, anaphoric reference (direct), anaphoric reference
(indirect), anaphoric reference, sporadic reference, the logical use of “the”, the use
of “the” with reference to body parts. Besides, he also describes the generic use of
the definite article “the” with singular noun phrases and plural noun phrases.
Moreover, he gives names with the definite article “the”.
Raymond Murphy (2004) in the book English Grammar in Use only focuses
his attention on the uses of the definite article “the”.
In the book Basic English Usage, Michael Swan (1984) gives a quite
understandable picture of the definite article “the”. He gives some cases which can
use “the” and some cases which can’t use “the”. Besides, he also shows the
difference between the indefinite articles “a/ an” and the definite article “the”.
According to him, the difference is that “a/ an” just means “one of a class” but
6


“the” means “you know exactly which one”. In addition, he introduces the
pronunciation of “the”.
In the book A Reference Grammar for Students of English, R. A. Close
(1979) concentrates on the uses of the definite article “the”. Moreover, he points

out one of its chief functions which are to indicate that the speaker is referring to a
particular example of a class of thing.
In short, much research has been done on the definite article “the” but none
of them point out errors in the use of the definite article “the”. In fact, there are far
more errors that learners of English often make when they use the definite article
“the”. Therefore, it is essential to have a comprehensive study of common errors in
the use of the definite article “the”.
I.2. THE ARTICLES
I.2.1. Definition
In the book The Use of Articles in English, Andrusiak I. V. defines: “The
articles belong to a syntactic class of words called determiners. Determiners are
words we use before a noun to show whether the noun is specific or general,
singular or plural, etc. Determiners also include possessives like my,
demonstratives like this and quantifiers like all”.
According to Richards and Schmidt (2002), determiner is “a word which is
used with a noun and which limit the meaning of the noun in some way” (p.152).
The most common kind of determiner in English is the article. And they say that
article is “a word which is used with a noun, and which shows whether the noun
refers to something definite or something indefinite.” (p.32).
Moreover, Alexander (1998) defines that “articles are determiners which
affect the meaning of the noun, and make it clearer by showing which particular
thing we are referring to” (p.55).

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I.2.2. Classification
English articles, according to Richards and Schmidt (2002: 32) in the book
Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, are classified into two
types: definite article the and indefinite article a/ an. However, Alexander (1998)

adds one more type, that is zero article Ø. So English articles include a/ an, the and
Ø. The two categories of the article are traditionally called indefinite and definite
articles. Singular count nouns take a or an as indefinite articles. Plural nouns and
non- count nouns take as their indefinite article. All categories of nouns take the as
the definite marker. This system is summarized in the following table:
Indefinite article

Definite article

a/ an

The

Plural count noun

Ø

The

Non- count noun

Ø

The

Singular count noun

Table 1: Summary of English articles
I.3. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE “THE”
I.3.1. Definition

“The definite article the never varies in form whether it refers to people or
things, singular or plural” (Alexander, 1998: 61).
Can you turn off the light, please? (the light in this room)
I took a taxi to the station. (the station in that town)
(Raymond Murphy, 2004: 144)
Michael Swan (1984) in Basic English Usage defines: “The means
something like you know which one I mean. It is used with uncountable, singular,
plural nouns”.
The water (uncountable)
The table (singular countable)
The stars (plural countable)

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I.3.2. Functions
I.3.2.1. As a demonstrative adjective
In Grammar (A Student’s guide), James R. Hurford says that “the” behaves
very much like the demonstratives such as this, that, these, those”, and “The term
“determiner” is used in linguistic to refer to a large class of words including
articles, demonstratives and possessives (but not numerals)… All such determiners
modify nouns”. Therefore, the definite article can function as the demonstrative
adjectives. For example:
Those three houses.
The three houses.
I.3.2.2. As a possessive adjective
According to Longman Dictionary of Grammar and Usage, Kam Chuan Aik
mentions that “The words a, an, the are articles. As a part of speech, articles are
considered adjectives because they modify nouns”, so the articles have the same
function as the adjectives in general, and the definite article functions as possessive

adjective in particular. For example:
The three houses.
Our three houses.
I.3.2.3. As a quantifier
In A Reference Grammar for Students of English, R. A. Close (1979) says
“some and any are most frequently used as quantifiers”. They are used with plural
and uncountable nouns, usually when we are talking about unknown or uncertain
amounts or numbers of things. Similarly, the definite article “the” can also
combine with singular countable, plural countable and uncountable nouns (which
are always singular). For example:
Can you pass the sugar, please?
Can I have some sugar in my coffee, please?

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I.3.2.4. As a pre- determiner
Determiners are divided into three main groups: central-determiners (the
articles and other words such as my, this, and some that also function as
pronouns); pre-determiners (all,

both,

twice,

such,

etc.); post-

determiners (many, few, several, etc.). Moreover, in A Reference Grammar for

Students of English, R. A. Close (1979) shows that the predetermines can be used
with count nouns, plural like the definite article “the” to modify nouns. From that,
the definite article “the” can function as the pre-determiner.
For example: All books or the books
I.3.3. Uses
According to Alexander (1998: 62), in Longman English Grammar, when
using “the” we must always bear in mind two basic facts:
1. The normally has a definite reference (i.e. the person or thing referred to is
assumed to be known to the speaker and reader).
2. The can combine with singular countable, plural countable and uncountable
nouns (which are always singular).
These two facts underlie all uses of the.
I.3.3.1. The use of “the” for classifying
I.3.3.1.1. The group as a whole: “the” + nationality adjective
Some nationality adjectives, particularly those ending in –ch, -sh and –ese
are used after the when we wish to refer to “the group as a whole”:
The British = The British people in general.
However, we cannot say “many British” or “those two British”, etc.
Plural nationality nouns can be used with the or the zero article to refer to
the group as a whole: the Americans or Americans; or with numbers or quantifiers
like some and many to refer to individuals: two Americans, some Americans:
The British and the Americans have been allies for a long time.
The Japanese admire the traditions of the Chinese.
For the use of the + adjective (the young, the old, etc).

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I.3.3.1.2. The group as a whole: “the” + plural names
The + plural name can refer to “the group as a whole”.

Families: The Price sisters have opened a boutique.
“Races”: The Europeans are a long way from political unity.
Politics: The Liberals want electoral reform.
Titles beginning with the are given to particular groups to emphasize their
identity: the Beatles, the Jesuits.
I.3.3.1.3. Specified groups: “the” + collective noun or plural countable
We can make general statements about specified groups with the + collective
nouns, such as the police, the public.
This new increase in fares won’t please the public.
Many plural countable nouns can be used in a collective sense in the same
way when particular groups are picked out from the rest of the human community:
the bosses, the unions.
Getting the unions and the bosses to agree isn’t easy.
I.3.3.2. The use of “the” for specifying
When we use the, the listener or reader can already identify what we are
referring to, therefore the shows that the noun has been specified by the context/
situation or grammatically.
I.3.3.2.1. Specifying by means of back- reference
Something that has been mentioned is referred to again:
Singleton is a quite village near Chichester. The village has a population of a
few hundred people.
I.3.3.2.2. Specifying by means of “the” + noun + “of”
The topics referred to (e.g. freedom, life) are specified:
The freedom of the individual is worth fighting for.
The life of Napoleon was very stormy.
I.3.3.2.3. Specifying by means of clauses and phrases
We can specify a person, thing, etc grammatically by means of the… +
clause of the… + phrase:
11

The Smith you are looking for no longer lives here.
The letters on the shelf are for you.
I.3.3.2.4. Specifying within a limited context
The can be used in contexts which are limited enough for the listener or
reader to identify who or what is referred to.
Reference can be made to:
- People: who’s at the door? - It’s the postman.
- Places: Where’s Jenny? - She’s gone to the butcher’s/She’s at the
supermarket.
Most references of this kind refer to a single identifiable place.
However, in big towns and cities, it is a matter of linguistic convention to
say He’s gone to the cinema/ the doctor’s, etc. without referring to any specific
one. This convention extends to locations like the country, the mountains, and the
seaside. Locations which are “one of a kind” always require the: e.g. the earth, the
sea, the sky, the sun, the moon, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe.
- Things: pass me the salt, please.
- Parts of a whole. When we know what is being referred to (“the whole”)
we can use “the” to name its parts. Assuming the listener or reader knows
that we are talking about: e.g.
- A human being, we can refer to the body, the brain, the head, the heart,
the lungs, the mind, the stomach, and the veins.
- A room, we can refer to the ceiling, the door, and the floor.
- An object, we can refer to the back/ the front, the centre, the inside/ the
outside, the top/ the bottom.
- A town, we can refer to the shops, the street.
- An appliance, we can refer to the on/ off switch.
I.3.3.3. The use of “the” in time expressions
I.3.3.3.1. The use of “the” in time sequences
Ex: the beginning. The middle, the end; the first/last; the next; the following

day; the present, the past, the future:
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In the past, people had fewer expectations.
I.3.3.3.2. The use of “the” with parts of the day
Ex: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, etc:
We spent the day at home. In the evening, we went out.
Note that though many time references require the, many do not:
Ex: next week, on Tuesday, last year.
I.3.3.3.3. The use of “the” with the seasons
(The) spring/summer/autumn/winter. “The” is optional:
We get a good crop of apples in (the) autumn.
I.3.3.3.4. The use of “the” in dates
Ordinal numbers usually require the when they are spoken, but not when
they are written.
Compare:
I’ll see you on May 24th. (spoken as May the 24th)
(Ex: on a letter): 24(th) May (spoken as the 24th of May)
I.3.3.3.5. The use of “the” in fixed time expressions
All the while, at the moment, for the time being, in the end, etc.:
I’m afraid Mr. Jay can’t speak to you at the moment.
I.3.3.4. The use of “the” with unique items other than place names
We often use the with “unique items” (i.e. where there is only one of a kind).
A few examples:
Institutions and organizations: the Boy Scouts, the United Nations.
Compare items with zero: Congress, Parliament.
Historical events, etc.: the French Revolution, the Victorian age.
Ships: the Canberra, the Discovery, the Titanic.
Documents and official titles: the Great Charter, the Queen.

Political parties: the Conservative Party, the Labor Party.
Public bodies: the Army, the Government, the Police.
The press (The is part of the title): The Economist, The New Yorker, The
Spectator, The Times.
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Note: the press, the radio, the television.
Compare: What’s on (the) television? What’s on TV?
Items with zero: Life, Newsweek, Punch, Time.
Titles (books, films, etc.: The is part of the title): The Odyssey, The
Graduate. Items with zero: Exiles, Jaws.
Beliefs: the angels, the Furies, the gods, the saints.
Compare God, Muhammed, etc. (proper nouns)
Climate, etc.: the climate, the temperature, the weather.
Species: the dinosaurs, the human race, the reptiles.
(Compare: Man developed earlier than people think.)
I.3.3.5. Other references with “the”
Examples of items with the:
- With superlatives: It’s the worst play I’ve ever seen.
- With musical instruments: Tom plays the piano/the flute/the violin.
The is often omitted in references to jazz and rock:
This is a 1979 recording with Ellison on bass guitar.
- Fixed phrases with the…the: the sooner the better.
- Fixed expressions: do the shopping, make the beds.
I.3.4. Differences between “the” and other articles
I.3.4.1. Differences between “a/an” and “the”
According to Michael Swan in the book Basic English Usage, the
differences between a/an and the are very simple:
A/an just means “one of a class”

The means “you know exactly which one”
Compare:
A doctor must like people. (= any doctor, any one of that profession)
My brother’s a doctor. (= one of that profession)
I’m going to see the doctor. (= you know which one: my doctor)
I live in a small flat at the top of an old house near the town hall.

14


(a small flat: there might be two or three at the top of the house- it could be
any one of these.
an old house: there are lots near the town hall- it could be any one.
the top: we know which top: it’s the top of the house where the person livesa house only has one top.
the town hall: we know exactly which town hall is meant: there’s only one in
the town.)
I.3.4.2. Differences between zero article and “the”
According to Alexander (1998), in Longman English Grammar, “the” can be
used in front of a singular countable, a plural countable and an uncountable noun;
and we often use the zero article in front of a plural countable and an uncountable
noun. For example:
The hat (not hat)
The hats – hats
The water - water
Moreover, in Basic English Usage, Michael Swan shows that we do not use
“the” with uncountable or plural nouns to talk about things in general. In these
cases, the zero article is used in stead of. For example:
Books are expensive. (Not The books are expensive. We are talking about
books in general – all books.)
Another example:

Life is hard. (Not The life is hard. This means all life.)

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CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE DEFINITE
ARTCLE “THE”

This chapter presents the findings of the practical research with the students
of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School. It falls into three sections. Section
II.1 deals with the survey questionnaire, which was designed to map out some
common errors made by the eleventh-grade students at Yen Lac High School.
Section II.2 presents commons errors and causes. Sections II.3 provide students
and teachers with some suggested solutions to minimize the errors in the use of the
definite article "the".
II.1. Survey
As it was mentioned in chapter one, the study not only helps students of
English have a deep insight into the definite article "the" but also finds out errors in
the use of the definite article "the" made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac
High School. Due to the framework of a thesis, to map out all the errors made by
the students at all educational levels is impossible. Therefore, this thesis only
focuses on common errors in the use of the definite article "the" made by the
eleventh-grade students at Yen Lac High School. To find out the errors made by
those students, a survey questionnaire was conducted.
II.1.1 Purpose of the survey
The overall objectives of the survey questionnaire are to test students’
understanding of the definite article "the" and find out common errors in the use of
the definite article "the" made by the eleventh-grade students at Yen Lac High
School in the school year of 2012/2013.
II.1.2 Population of the survey

The number of students participating in the survey questionnaire is eighty in
grade eleven at Yen Lac High School. They have to learn English as a compulsory
subject. Most of them have been learning English for five years. Some have learnt
English for seven or eight years. Therefore, the expected English level among them
is intermediate. Naturally, they have been taught some of the definite article "the"
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uses. Some of them are really good at grammar but some of them are bad at
grammar in general and the definite article "the" in particular.
II.1.3 Type of the survey
To collect data, a completion test was used. It involves such activities as
choosing the correct answers, filling in the blanks, and correcting the sentences
where necessary.
II.1.4 Construction of the survey
The material in use in the test was taken from grammar books concerned
with the definite article "the". The survey is divided into two parts. Part A, which
consists of five sentences, is designed to get general information about informants
and their English competence. Part B is conducted to find out how much the
students have known and mastered the definite article "the". This part has three
exercises.
1) Exercise 1: Insert “a”, “an”, “the” where necessary
This exercise consists of ten items.
2) Exercise 2: Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence
There are twenty items in this exercise.
3) Exercise 3: Read these sentences carefully. Some are correct, but some
need “the” (sometimes more than once). Correct the sentences where
necessary.
There are ten items in this exercise.
II.1.5 Preparation of the survey

II.1.5.1 Test items
There are many possible errors in the use of the definite article "the" that a
survey cannot find out. Thus, it is necessary to predict possible errors and include
them in the survey. In this survey, possible errors were classified into the following
categories.
1) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a”
2) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “an”
3) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the zero article
4) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the quantifiers
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5) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners
6) Other common errors
II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the survey
After being classified, the test items were arranged into the following
numbers:
1. Test on the use of the definite article "the", numbers 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 32, 34,
37, 38, 40.
2. Test on the use of the indefinite article "a", numbers 2, 4, 5, 6.
3. Test on the use of the indefinite article "an", numbers 1, 3, 6, 10.
4. Test on the use of the zero article, numbers 8, 13, 16, 31, 33, 35, 36, 39.
5. Test on the use of the quantifiers, numbers 14, 17, 19, 23, 24.
6. Test on the use of the pre-determiners, numbers 11, 20, 25, 26, 29.
II.1.6 Administration of the try-out
II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out
The teachers in charge of the two classes, the students of which were
intended to do the survey questionnaire, were asked for permission before the tryout was carried out.
II.1.6.2 Try-out
The try-out was conducted on April, 25st, 2013. The students from the two

classes were gathered in a room and asked to do the questionnaire as well as
possible in compliance with their own ability. They were instructed carefully
before answering the questionnaire. Importantly, they were reminded that the result
of the questionnaire was to serve the research and it had no influence on their study
results. Hence, they made their real effort to do the questionnaire without copying
from the others. The allocated time for the forty questions was forty five minutes.
II.1.7 Method of data analysis
The data was analyzed in five steps. In the first step, the students’ selfassessment about their English level and their knowledge were analyzed. The
errors in the use of the definite article "the" were found out in step two. In the next
step, the average percentage of errors at each level was calculated. Then, the error
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levels were ranked from the highest to the lowest. Based on this arrangement, the
highest was considered as the major error in the use of the definite article "the".
Students who made the most errors were identified in the last step.
II.1.8 Results of the survey
In the first part of the survey, the students were asked to give their selfassessment of their English levels and their understandings. A great number of
students (63%) said that their English is not really good. Forty-one per cent of
them stated that they were rather good at English. Nine per cent said that they were
good at this subject. Four per cent stated that they were excellent. Only two per
cent confessed that they were bad at English. It can be seen from the result of the
survey that every student could quickly recognize the differences between the
definite article "the" and the indefinite article "a, an". However, most of them
could not distinguish the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners.
Also based on the survey analysis, the errors made by the students in grade
11 at Yen Lac High School were noted as follows.
1. Errors in the use of the definite article "the"
and the indefinite article “a” ......................................................... 43.12%
2. Errors in the use of the definite article "the"

and the indefinite article “an” ....................................................... 31.87%
3. Errors in the use of the definite article "the"
and the zero article ........................................................................ 55.89%
4. Errors in the use of the definite article "the"
and the quantifiers ......................................................................... 39%
5. Errors in the use of the definite article "the"
and the pre-determiners................................................................. 62.5%
6. Other common errors .................................................................... 54.79%

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