UNIT 74. The (3) (Children/the children)

A. When we are talking about things or people in general, we do not use 'the':

* I'm afraid of dogs. (not 'the dogs') (dogs = dogs in general, not a particular group of dogs)

* Doctors are paid more than teachers.

* Do you collect stamps?

* Crime is a problem in most big cities. (not 'the crime')

* Life has changed a lot in the last 30 years. (not 'the life')

* Do you often listen to classical music? (not 'the classical music')

* Do you like Chinese food/French cheese/Swiss chocolate?

* My favourite sport is football/skiing/athletics. (not 'the football the skiing' etc.)

* My favourite subject at school was history/physics/English. We say 'most people/most books/most cars' etc. (not 'the most...'--see also Unit 87A).

* Most people like George. (not 'the most people')

B. We use the when we mean particular things or people. Compare:

#1 In general (without 'the')

* Children learn a lot from playing. (= children in general)

* I often listen to music.

* All cars have wheels.

* Sugar isn't very good for you.

* Do English people work hard? (= English people in general)

#2 Particular people or things (with the)

* We took the children to the zoo. (= a particular group, perhaps the speaker's own children)

* The film wasn't very good but I liked the music. (= the music in the film)

* All the cars in this car park belong to people who work here.

* Can you pass the sugar, please? (= the sugar on the table)

* Do the English people you know work hard? (= only the English people you know, not English people in general)

C. The difference between 'something in general' and 'something in particular' is not always very clear. Compare these sentences:

#1 In general (without 'the')

* I like working with people. (= people in general)

* I like working with people who are lively. (not all people, but 'people who are lively' is still a general idea)

* Do you like coffee? (= coffee in general)

* Do you like strong black coffee? (not all coffee, but 'strong black coffee' is still a general idea)

#2 Particular people or things (with the)

* I like the people I work with. (= a particular group of people)

* Did you like the coffee we had after our meal last night? (= particular coffee)