075 : 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 specific group of dogs)
• Doctors are usually paid more than teachers.
• Do you know anybody who collects stamps?
• Crime is a problem in most big cities. (not The crime)
• Life has changed a lot in the last thirty years. (not The life)
• Do you like classical music / Chinese food / fast cars?
• My favourite sport is football/skiing/athletics.
• My favourite subject at school was history/physics/English.

We say 'most people / most books / most cars' etc. (not the most ... ):

• Most shops accept credit cards. (not The most shops)

 

 

   B   

We use the when we mean specific things or people.

 

Compare:

In general  (without the)	Specific people or things  (with the)
Children learn from playing. (= children in general)	We took the children to the zoo. (= a specific group, perhaps the speaker's children)
I couldn't live without music.	The film wasn't very good, but I liked the music. (= the music in the film)
All cars have wheels.	All the cars in this car park belong to people who work here.
Sugar isn't very good for you.	Can you pass the sugar, please? (= the sugar on the table)
English people drink a lot of tea. (= English people in general)	The English people I know drink a lot of tea. (= only the English people I know, not English people in general)

 

 

   C   

The difference between 'something in general' and 'something specific' is not always very clear.

 

Compare:

In general  (without the)	Specific people or things  (with the)
I like working with people. (= people in general)
I like working with people who say what they think. (not all people, but 'people who say what they think' is still a general idea)	I like the people I work with. (= a specific group of people)
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)	I didn't like the coffee we had after dinner. (= specific coffee)