Expressions to watch out for! THE - GO TO

There are some common mistakes with the use of the article "the". Sometimes the confusion is derived by the fact that there are certain expression that don't follow the normal pattern and other time the confusion comes from literally translating the expression from Spanish.

Article THE:

We use "the" to point out a specific person, place or thing when it is not a proper noun. (if the noun is already a proper noun such as New York it already is specific so we don't need the article  "the")

When we talk about going to a place if we know where we are going we use "the" when we  don't know where we are going to we use the article "a", for example:

Where are you going?

I am going to the party. (The specific party you were invited to and the person you are speaking to knows about.)

I am going to a party. (You will go with some friends and find a good party to go to but you don't know which one it will be yet)

This pattern is followed in most of the cases.

Common nouns 

I am going to the movies.

I am going to the party.

I am going to the supermarket.

I am going to the park.

I am going to the pool.

I am going to the restaurant.

I am going to the beach.

The article "the" is not used with proper nouns:

I am going to New York

I am going to Paiz

I am going to MacDonalds

I am going to Xetulul

You will see it used when the  article "the" is part of the name and in some exceptions:

We are going to The United States of America.

She went to the Great Lakes.

I will go to the Canary Islands

SPECIAL CASES

The tricky part comes in with some words which don't take an article: 

When we refer to places where more than just going to the building is implied, the meaning of the word goes beyond the place to a more abstract meaning and is something done as a lifestyle, we don't use "the" like school, college, church or situations such as class, mass, lunch. 

I am going to college. 

I am going to school.

I go to school at 8.00 AM.

I go to work everyday.

I will go to lunch at 1.00 pm

When will you go to class?

We go to mass every Sunday.

I don't go to church.

In a case when you are literally just going to the building you can use "the" for example:

I forgot my backpack, I am going back to the school. (You are literally going to the building)

I realize education is important, I am going back to school. (In this case the meaning of school is beyond the building)

INCORRECT

I am going to the college

CORRECT

I am going to college.        

I am going to Front Range Community College. 

I am going to university.
I am going to San Carlos University 

I am going to The University of Kansas. ("the" is part of the name)

Article "THE" and time expression.

These common errors are an interference of the native language Spanish when translating literally what we want to say. Therefore by all means, try to think in English.

Expression of time that take the: in the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon.

Expression of time that DO NOT take an article: at night, at noon, at midnight.

Expressions of time that DO NOT take an article nor  the preposition at: tonight, tomorrow, yesterday

Expression of time that can be used with "the" if you want to refer time, described by a limiting phrase or implicit in the conversatio: next month, next year, last year, last month.

INCORRECT

The next week I am going to Tikal.  

CORRECT

Next week I am going to Tikal.

INCORRECT

I will call you at the night. 

CORRECT  

I will call you at night.

INCORRECT

The last week was my birthday.  

CORRECT

The last week of the month is my birthday. -specific week-

or Last week was my birthday. -plainly last week-

INCORRECT

The next year I'm going to Las Vegas.

CORRECT

The next year after I turn 21 I am going to Las Vegas. -a specific year-

or Next year I'm going to Las Vegas. -plainly next year-

Try this website for more on use and non use of articles: http:/owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslart.html

IN YOUR CIAV PROGRAM REFER TO: Course 5, Course 8: workbook page 20