Hình thức của Mạo từ xác định "the"(Definite Article)

The dùng cho cả danh từ đếm được (số ít lẫn số nhiều) và danh từ không đếm được.
Ví dụ:
- The truth (sự thật)
- The time (thời gian)
- The bicycle (một chiếc xe đạp)
- The bicycles (những chiếc xe đạp)
Dùng mạo từ xác định
1/ Khi vật thể hay nhóm vật thể là duy nhất hoặc được xem là duy nhất
Ví dụ:
- The sun (mặt trời); the sea (biển cả)
- The world (thế giới); the earth (quả đất)

2/ Trước một danh từ, với điều kiện danh từ này vừa mới được đề cập trước đó.
Ví dụ:
- I saw a beggar.The beggar looked curiously at me.
(Tôi thấy một người ăn xin. Người ăn xin ấy nhìn tôi với vẻ tò mò)

3/ Trước một danh từ, với điều kiện danh từ này được xác định bằng một cụm từ hoặc một
mệnh đề.
Ví dụ:
- The girl in uniform (Cô gái mặc đồng phục)
- The mechanic that I met (Người thợ máy mà tôi đã gặp)
- The place where I waited for him (Nơi mà tôi đợi anh ta)

4/ Trước một danh từ chỉ một vật riêng biệt

Ví dụ:
- My father is working in the garden 
- (Cha tôi đang làm việc trong vườn) [Vườn nhà tôi]
- Please pass the dictionary (Làm ơn đa quyển tự điển) [Tự điển ở trên bàn]

5/ Trước so sánh cực cấp, Trước first (thứ nhất), second (thứ nhì), only (duy nhất).... khi các
từ này được dùng như tính từ hay đại từ. 
Ví dụ:
- The first day (ngày đầu tiên)
- The best time (thời gian thuận tiện nhất)
- The only way (cách duy nhất)
- The first to discover this accident (người đầu tiên phát hiện tai nạn này)

6/ The + Danh từ số ít tượng trưng cho một nhóm thú vật hoặc đồ vật
Ví dụ:
- The whale is in danger of becoming extinct (Cá voi đang trong nguy cơ tuyệt chủng)
- The fast food has made life easier for housewives.(Thức ăn nhanh đã làm cho các bà nội trợ có
cuộc sống dễ dàng hơn)

7/ The có thể dùng Trước một thành viên của một nhóm người nhất định
Ví dụ:
- The small shopkeeper is finding business increasingly difficult (Giới chủ tiệm nhỏ thấy việc
buôn bán ngày càng khó khăn)

8/ The + Danh từ số ítdùng Trước một động từ số ít. Đại từ là He / She /It
Ví dụ:
- The first-class passenger pays more so that he enjoys some comfort.
(Hành khách đi vé hạng nhất trả tiền nhiều hơn để hưởng tiện nghi thoải mái)

9/ The + Tính từtượng trưng cho một nhóm người

Ví dụ:
-The old (người già); the rich and the poor (người giàu và người nghèo)

10/ The dùng Trước những danh từ riêng chỉ biển, sông, quần đảo, dãy núi, tên gọi số nhiều
của các nước, sa mạc, miền
Ví dụ:
- The Pacific (Thái Bình Dương);The Netherlands (Hà Lan)
- The Crimea (Vùng Crimê); The Alps (dãy Alps)

11/ The cũng đứng Trước những tên gọi gồm Danh từ + of + danh từ
Ví dụ:
- The Gulf of Mexico (Vịnh Mêhicô)
- The United States of America (Hiệp chủng quốc Hoa Kỳ).
Nhưng người ta lại nói:
- South Africa (Nam Phi), North America (Bắc Mỹ), West Germany (Tây Đức),mặc dù The north
of Spain (Bắc Tây Ban Nha), The Middle East (Trung Đông); The West (Tây Phương)

12 The + họ (ở số nhiều)nghĩa là Gia đình ...

Ví dụ:The Smiths = Gia đình Smith (vợ chồng Smith và các con)

Không dùng mạo từ xác định

1/ Trước tên quốc gia, tên châu lục, tên núi, tên hồ, tên đờng. 
Ví dụ:
Europe (Châu Âu), South America (Nam Mỹ), France (Pháp quốc), Downing Street (Phố
Downing) 

2/ Khi danh từ không đếm được hoặc danh từ số nhiều dùng theo nghĩa chung nhất, chứ
không chỉ riêng trường hợp nào.
Ví dụ:
- I don't like French beer (Tôi chẳng thích bia của Pháp)
- I don't like Mondays (Tôi chẳng thích ngày thứ hai)

3/ Trước danh từ trừu tượng, trừ phi danh từ đó chỉ một trường hợp cá biệt.
Ví dụ:
- Men fear death (Con người sợ cái chết)
Nhưng:
- The death of the President made his country acephalous (cái chết của vịtổng thống đã khiến cho
đất nước ông không có người lãnh đạo).

4/ Sausở hữu tính từ(possessive adjective) hoặc sau danh từ ở sở hữu cách(possessive case) .
Ví dụ:
- My friend, chứ không nói My the friend
- The girl's mother = the mother of the girl (Mẹ của cô gái)
5/ Trước tên gọi các bữa ăn. 
Ví dụ:
-They invited some friends to dinner. 
(Họ mời vài người bạn đến ăn tối)
Nhưng:
- The wedding breakfast was held in a beautiful garden
(Bữa tiệc cưới được tổ chức trong một khu vườn xinh đẹp)
6/ Trước các tước hiệu. 
Ví dụ:
- President Roosevelt (Tổng thống Roosevelt)
- King Louis XIV of France (Vua Louis XIV của Pháp)

7/ Trong các trường hợp sau đây:

- Women are always fond of music (Phụ nữ luôn thích âm nhạc)
- Come by car/by bus (Đến bằng xe ôtô/xe búyt)
- In spring/in autumn (Vào mùa xuân/mùa thu), last night (đêm qua), next year(năm tới), from
beginning to end (từ đầu tới cuối), from left to right (từ trái sang phải).
- To play golf/chess/cards (chơi gôn/ đánh cờ/đánh bài)

Lưu ý
·Nature mang nghĩa "Tự nhiên , thiên nhiên " thì không dùng the.
Ví dụ:
- According to the laws of nature (Theo quy luật tự nhiên)
- They couldn't tolerate city life anymore and went back to nature(Họ không chịu nổi đời sống
thành thị nữa và trở về với thiên nhiên)

·He listened to the radio(Anh ta nghe rađiô), nhưng He watchedtelevision(Anh ta xem TV) ; hoặc
He heard it on the radio(Anh ta nghe được việc đó trên rađiô), nhưng He saw it on TV(Anh ta
thấy việc đó trên TV).

·Go home/get home (Đi về nhà), be at home (™ nhà), nhưng They returned to the brideg room's
home(Họ trở lại nhà chú rể).Go to bed/hospital/church/school/ work/prison (Đi ngủ/đi nằm bệnh
viện/đi lễ/đi học/đi làm/ đi tù), nhưng They went to the school to see their children's teacher(Họ
đến trường để gặp thầy của con họ) & Thepriest goes to the jail topray for the two dying
prisoners(Linh mục đến nhà tù để cầu nguyện cho hai người tù đang hấp hối) & She will get a bus
at the church (Cô ta sẽ đón xe búyt ở chỗ nhà thờ).Nói chung, không thể thiếu The nếu đến
trường không phải để học, đến nhà tù không phải để ở tù hoặc đến nhà thờ không phải 

BÀI TẬP TỔNG HỢP VỀ MẠO TỪ “A/AN/THE”

Exercise 1: Chọn đáp án đúng để điền vào chỗ trống (chú ý: ký hiệu “x” có nghĩa là không
cần mạo từ)
1. We are looking for _______ place to spend ________ night.
            A. the/the                   B. a/the           C. a/a              D. the/a
2. Please turn off ________ lights when you leave ________ room.
            A. the/the                   B. a/a              C. the/a           D. a/the
3. We are looking for people with ________experience.
            A. the                          B. a                 C. an               D. x
4. Would you pass me ________ salt, please?
            A. a                             B. the              C. an               D. x
5. Can you show me ________way to ________station?
            A. the/the                   B. a/a              C. the/a           D. a/the
6. She has read ________interesting book.
            A. a                             B. an               C. the              D. x
7. You’ll get ________shock if you touch ________ live wire with that screwdriver.
            A. an/the                    B. x/the          C. a/a              D. an/the
8. Mr. Smith is ________ old customer and ________ honest man.
            A. An/the                   B. the/an        C. an/an          D. the/the
9. ________ youngest boy has just started going to ________ school.
            A. a/x                          B. x/the          C. an/x            D. the/x
10. Do you go to ________ prison to visit him?
            A. the                          B. a                 C. x                 D. an
11. ________eldest boy is at ________ college.
            A. a/the                      B. the/x          C. x/ a             D. an/x
12. Are you going away next week? No, ________ week after next.
            A. an                           B. a                 C. the              D. x
13. Would you like to hear ________ story about ________ English scientist?
            A. an/the                    B. the/the       C. a/the           D. a/ an
14. There’ll always be a conflict between ________ old and ________ young.
            A. the/the                   B. an/a            C. an/the        D. the/a
15. There was ________ collision at ________ corner.
            A. the/a                      B. an/the        C. a/the           D. the/the
16. My mother thinks that this is ________ expensive shop.
            A. the                          B. an               C. a                 D. x
17. Like many women, she loves ________ parties and ________gifts.
            A. the/ a                     B. a/the           C. a/a              D. x/x
18. She works seven days ________ week.
            A. a                             B. the              C. an               D. x
19. My mother goes to work in ________ morning.
            A. a                             B. x                 C. the              D. an
20. I am on night duty. When you go to ________ bed, I go to ________ work.
            A. a/x                          B. a/the           C. the/x          D. x/x
Exercise 2: Câu chuyện sau được chia thành các câu nhỏ, hãy đọc và điền mạo từ thích hợp
“a/an/ the hoặc x (không cần mạo từ)” vào chỗ trống:
1. There was ________knock on ________door. I opened it and found ________small dark man
in ________blue overcoat and _______woolen cap.
2. He said he was ________employee of ________gas company and had come to read
________meter.
3. But I had ________suspicion that he wasn't speaking ________truth because ________meter
readers usually wear ________peaked caps.
4. However, I took him to ________ meter, which is in ________dark corner under ________
stairs.
5. I asked if he had ________ torch; he said he disliked torches and always read ________ meters
by ________light of ________match.
6. I remarked that if there was ________leak in ________ gas pipe there might be ________
explosion while he was reading ________meter.
7.  He said, “As ________matter of ________fact, there was ________explosion in ________last
house I visited; and Mr. Smith, ________owner of ________house, was burnt in ________face.”
8.  “Mr. Smith was holding ________lighted match at ________time of ________explosion.”
9.  To prevent ________possible repetition of this accident, I lent him ________torch.
10.  He switched on ________torch, read ________meter and wrote ________ reading down on
________back of ________envelope.
11.  I said in ________surprise that ________meter readers usually put ________readings down
in ________book.
12.  He said that he had had ________book but that it had been burnt in ________fire
in________ Mr. Smith's house.
13. By this time I had come to ________conclusion that he wasn't ________genuine meter
reader; and ________moment he left ________house I rang ________police.
Exercise 3: Điền mạo từ thích hợp “a/an/the hoặc x (không cần mạo từ)”” vào chỗ trống.
14. Are John and Mary ________cousins? ~
No, they aren't ________cousins; they are ________brother and ________sister.
15. ________fog was so thick that we couldn't see ________ side of ________road. We followed
________car in front of us and hoped that we were going ________right way.
16. I can't remember ________exact date of ________storm, but I know it was on
________Sunday because everybody was at ________church. On ________Monday
________post didn't come because ________roads were blocked by ________fallen
trees.
17. Peter thinks that this is quite ________ cheap restaurant.
18.       A: There's ________murder here. ~
B: Where's ________body?~
A: There isn't ________body. ~
B: Then how do you know there's been ________murder?
19. Number ________hundred and two, - ________house next door to us, is for sale.
It's quite ________nice house with ________big rooms ________back windows look out on
________park.
20. I don't know what ________price ________owners are asking. But Dry and Rot are
________agents. You could give them ________ring and make them ________offer.
21. ________postman's little boy says that he'd rather be ________dentist than ________doctor,
because ________dentists don't get called out at ________night.
22.  Just as ________air hostess (there was only one on the plane) was handing me ________cup
of ________coffee ________plane gave ________lurch and ________ coffee went all over
________person on ________other side of ________gangway.
23. There was ________collision between ________car and ________cyclist at ________
crossroads near ________my house early in ________morning.  
24. Professor Jones, ________man who discovered ________new drug that everyone is talking
about, refused to give ________press conference.
25 Peter Piper, ________student in ________ professor's college, asked him why he refused to
talk to ________press.
ĐÁP ÁN
Exercise 1:
1. B     2. A     3. D     4. B     5. A     6. B     7. B     8. C     9. D     10. A  
11. B   12. C   13. D   14. A   15. C   16. B   17. D   18. A   19. C   20. D
Exercise 2:
1. a - the -  a - a - a              
2. an - the - the                     
 3. a - the - x - x                   
4. the - the - the
5. a - x - the -  a                    
6. a - a - an - the       
7. a - x - an - the - the - the - the
8. a - the - the                       
9. a - a                                   
10. the - the - the - the - an
11. x - x - the - a      
12. a – the - x                       
13. the - a - the - the - the
Exercise 3:
14. x - x - x - x                     
15. The - the - the - the - the                      
16. the - the - x - the -  x -  the – x - x
17. a                           
18. a - the - a -  a                              
19. a -  the -  a - x - the -  the
20. x - the -  the -  a - an     
21. The - a - a - x - x                       
22.  the - a - x - the - a - the - the - the - the
23.  a - a - a - the – x - the.
24.  the - the - a
 25.  a - the - the
EX4. : Điền a/an hoặc the:
1. This morning I bought….newspaper and …….magazine. …….newspaper is in my bag but I
don’t know where I put…..magazine.
2. I saw ……accident this morning. ……car crashed into …..tree. ………driver of ……car
wasn’t hurt but …..car was badly damaged.
3. There are two cars parked outside:……..blue one and …….grey one. ……..blue one belongs to
my neighbors. I don’t know who ….. owner of…..grey one is.
4. My friends live in…….old house in……small village. There is …….beautiful garden behind
……..house. I would like to have……garden like this.
5. This house is very nice. Has it got …….garden?
6. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s sit in……..garden.
7. Can you recommend ……..good restaurant?
8. We had dinner in…….most expensive restaurant in town.
9. There isn’t ……….airport near where I live. …….nearest airport is 70 miles away.
10. “Are you going away next week?”
- “No, …..week after next”
KEY EX4
1. This morning I bought…a….newspaper and ..a...magazine. ..The…newspaper is in my bag but
I don’t know where I put…the ..magazine.
2. I saw …an…accident this morning. …a…car crashed into …a..tree. …The……driver of …a…
car wasn’t hurt but …the..car was badly damaged.
3. there are two cars parked outside:…a…..blue one and …a….grey one. …the…..blue one
belongs to my neighbors. I don’t know who …the.. owner of…the..grey one is.
4. My friends live in…an….old house in…a…small village. There is …a….beautiful garden
behind …the…..house. I would like to have…a…garden like this.
5. This house is very nice. Has it got …a….garden?
6. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s sit in…the…..garden.
7. Can you recommend …a…..good restaurant?
8. We had dinner in…the….most expensive restaurant in town.
9. There isn’t …an…….airport near where I live. …the….nearest airport is 70 miles away.
10. “Are you going away next week?” - “No, .. the…..week after next”
EX5. Hoàn thành các câu sau với 3 mạo từ a/an/the hoặc bỏ trống
1. I like....(a/an/the)....blue T-shirt over there better than....(a/an/the)....red one.
2. Their car does 150 miles....(a/an/the)....hour.
3. Where's....(a/an/the)....USB drive I lent you last week?
4. Do you still live in....(a/an/the)....Bristol?
5. Is your mother working in....(a/an/the)....old office building?
6. Carol's father works as....(a/an/the)....electrician.
7. The tomatoes are 99 pence....(a/an/the)....kilo.
8. What do you usually have for....(a/an/the)....breakfast?
9. Ben has....(a/an/the)....terrible headache.
10. After this tour you have....(a/an/the)....whole afternoon free to explore the city.
keyEX5
1. I like the blue T-shirt over there better than the red one.
2. Their car does 150 miles an hour.
3. Where's the USB drive I lent you last week?
4. Do you still live in (Bỏ trống) Bristol?
5. Is your mother working in an old office building?
6. Carol's father works as an electrician.
7. The tomatoes are 99 pence a kilo.
8. What do you usually have for (Bỏ trống) breakfast?
9. Ben has a terrible headache.
10. After this tour you have the whole afternoon free to explore the city.

EX6. Bài tập về mạo từ the chọn từ đúng để hoàn thành các câu sau
 My grandmother likes ....(flowers/the flowers)..... very much.
 I love ....(flowers/the flowers)..... in your garden.
 See you on ....(Wednesday/he Wednesday).....
 I always listen to ....(radio/the radio)..... in the morning.
 Alex goes to work by ....(bus/the bus).....
 Don't be late for ....(school/the school).....
 Listen! Dennis is playing ....(trumpet/the trumpet))
  She has never been to ....(Alps/the Alps)..... before.
 What about going to Australia in ....(February/the February<)?
keyEX6
1. My grandmother likes flowers very much.
2. I love the flowers in your garden.
3. See you on Wednesday.
4. I always listen to the radio in the morning.
5. Alex goes to work by bus.
6. Don't be late for school.
7. Listen! Dennis is playing the trumpet.
8. We often see our cousins over Easter.
9. She has never been to the Alps before.
10. What about going to Australia in February?

EX7. Điền đúng cách danh từ riêng trong ngoặc đơn có the hoặc không có the
1. ...(Danube)..... is Austria's longest river.
2. Our uncle lives on ...(Philippines).
3. ...(Jamaica)..... belongs to the Carribean islands.
4. ...(Statue of Liberty)..... was dedicated in 1886.
5. ...(Taj Mahal)..... is one of India's most popular attractions.
6. ...(Dead Sea)..... lies below sea level.
7. ...(Everglades National Park)..... is in Florida.
8. Aconcagua is ...(highest mountain)..... outside Asia.
9. ...(Mount Fuji)..... is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains.
10. ...(Lake Superior)..... is ...(largest)..... of ...(Great Lakes).....
keyEX7
1. The Danube is Austria's longest river.
2. Our uncle lives on the Philippines.
3. Jamaica belongs to the Carribean islands.
4. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886.
5. The Taj Mahal is one of India's most popular attractions.
6. The Dead Sea lies below sea level.
7. Everglades National Park is in Florida.
8. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia.
9. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains.
10. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes.

EX8. Hoàn thành đoạn văn với các chỗ trống bằng the hoặc không có the
Hi John,
I arrived in ........................ USA last Monday. We left ............ Rome, flew over ............ Alps and
made a quick stop in ............ London. There we went shopping at ............ Harrods,
visited ............ Tower and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in ............ Hyde Park. On the following day
we left for ............ New York. ............ time on board wasn't boring as there were two films to
watch on ............ monitor. ............ people on ............ plane were all ............ Italian. Before we
landed at ............ JFK airport, we saw ............ Statue of Liberty, ............ Ellis Island and ............
Empire State Building. ............ hotel I stayed in was on ............ corner of ............ 42nd Street
and............ 5th Avenue. I don't like ............ hotels very much, but I didn't have ............ time to
rent an apartment.
keyEX8
I arrived in the USA last Monday. We left x Rome, flew over the Alps and made a quick stop in x
London. There we went shopping at x Harrods, visited the Tower and enjoyed a sunny afternoon
in x Hyde Park. On the following day we left for x New York. The time on board wasn't boring as
there were two films to watch on the monitor. Thepeople on the plane were all x Italian. Before
we landed at x JFK airport, we saw the Statue of Liberty, x Ellis Island and the Empire State
Building. The hotel I stayed in was on the corner of x 42nd Street and x 5th Avenue. I don't likex
hotels very much, but I didn't have x time to rent an apartment.

EX9. Bài tập về a/an: Hoàn thành các câu sau với a hoặc an
1. There is ............. green English book on the desk.
2. She's reading ............. old comic.
3. They've got ............. idea.
4. He is drinking ............. cup of coffee.
5. The girl is ............. pilot.
6. Leipzig has ............. airport.
7. This is ............. expensive bike.
8. Look! There's ............. bird flying.
9. My father is ............. honest person.
10. My friend likes to be ............. astronaut.
keyEX9.
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4. a
5. a
6. an
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8. a
9. an
10. an