Correct use of "The"

Definite Article: the
The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is particular or specific. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group.
 Examples:

The dog (that specific dog) is barking.
The apple (that specific apple) is big.

DO NOT USE THE BEFORE:
- names of countries except the Netherlands, the Philippines and the US.

 Examples:
The Italy
The Germany
The United States

- names of cities, towns, or states.
 Examples:
The Manila
I went to the Seattle.


- names of streets
 Examples:
The Main street
The Keele street


- names of lakes and bays except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes.
 Examples:
The Lake Erie
The Great Lakes


- names of mountains except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn.
 Examples:
The Mount Everest
The Mount Fuji
The Rockies
The Andes


- names of continents
 Examples:
The Asia
The Europe


- names of islands except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands.
 Examples:
The Easter Island
The Key West
the Hebrides
the Canary Islands


- The is NOT used with non-countable nouns referring to something in a general sense:

 Examples:

The Coffee is a popular drink.

The Japanese was his native language.

The Intelligence is difficult to quantify.


- names of languages and nationalities.

 Examples:

I can speak the Chinese.

Can you understand the English?

Are you the Russian?


- names of sports.

 Examples:

I can play the chess.

We played the basketball yesterday.


- names of academic subjects.

 Examples:

She flunked the Music.

Is the Math your favorite subject?


- names of seasons and months.

 Examples:

My birthday is in the October.

It's the winter.


- names of festivals and holidays.

 Examples:

They still celebrate the Chinese New year.

I will not go to work today because it's the Christmas.

DO USE THE BEFORE:
- names of rivers, oceans and seas.
 Examples:
The Nile River
The Pacific Ocean


- points on the globe.
 Examples:
The Equator
The North Pole


- geographical areas
 Examples:
The Middle East
The West


- deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas
 Examples:
The Sahara
The Persian Gulf
The Black Forest
The Peninsula


- with time expressions
 Examples:
the past
the present time


- used with non-countable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or clause:

 Examples:

The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.

The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.

The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.


- used when a noun refers to something unique (only one exists) or widely-known

 Examples:

the White House

the theory of relativity

the internet

the computer

the Mona Lisa


- superlatives

 Examples:

the highest temperature

the lowest rate

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A lot of vs. Lots of, Much vs. Many, Few vs. Little

We use these words as quantifiers that come at the start of noun phrases and they tell us something about quantity.


A lot of vs. Lots of
A lot of and lots of are used to express that there is a large quantity of something.
We use a lot of in positive sentences, negative sentences and questions. This expression can be used with countable or uncountable nouns.


Examples:
- There are a lot of dogs in their house. (Countable noun)
- I have a lot of time to answer your questions. (Uncountable noun)
- I saw a lot of people waiting in the queue. (Countable noun)
- We did have a lot of fun, didn't we? (Uncountable noun)


Note: We use lots of in positive and negative sentences, however it is more informal. It can be used with countable or uncountable nouns, and occasionally in questions.


Examples:
- We have lots of time to catch the plane, lets relax. (Uncountable noun)
- There are lots of people in the queue today. (Countable noun)
- Oh my, you have spent lots of money on clothes! (Uncountable noun)
- I have lots of questions. (Countable noun)
- She has a lot of money = She has lots of money




Much vs. Many
Much and Many are used to express that there is a large quantity of something.
They're also used in negative sentences and questions.



Many is used with countable nouns.

Much is used with uncountable nouns.


Examples:
- I don't have many CD's in my collection. (Countable noun)
- They don't have much money to buy a present. (Uncountable noun)
- How many brothers do you have? (Countable noun)
- Is there much milk in the fridge? (Uncountable noun)


Note: We don't use Much and Many in positive sentences, we use a lot of or lots of.
WRONG: I have much money. (Incorrect because the sentence is positive/affirmative).
CORRECT: 
I have a lot of money. 




Few vs. Little
We use Few and Little to suggest a small quantity.



Few is used with countable nouns.

Little is used with uncountable nouns.


Examples:
- There are only a few days left until Thanksgiving. (Countable noun)
- There is little hope of finding your wallet. (Uncountable noun)


Note: While Few and Little usually have positive meanings, very few and very little have negative meanings.
Examples:
- He is sad because he has very few friends. (Countable noun)
- They have very little knowledge about education. (Uncountable noun)

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"O" or "Oh"?

"O" is a different word with a different meaning from "Oh." 




"O"

- It's a whole word, not a contraction, so no apostrophe is necessary. 
- It's expresses a pleading emotions.
- Used before the name of or a pronoun referring to a person or thing being formally addressed.
Examples:
Please hear our voices , O Mr. President!
O Romeo, where are you?


- An exclamation used in calling or directly addressing a person or personified object; also, as an emotional or impassioned exclamation expressing pain, grief, surprise, desire, fear, etc.
Examples:
O nation of God, rejoice!

"OH" on the other hand expresses more emotion than "O" (surprise or desire) or in response to physical sensation (such as pain)
Examples:
Oh no! The glass is going to break!
Oh, that hurt.
Oh, that does taste good!


- It's also used in direct address.
Examples:
Oh, waiter! Will you come here, please?
Oh sir, I think that's my phone on your purse.


- Another used is to express acknowledgment or understanding of a statement.
Examples:
Oh, now I can see what you mean by that!
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.



- used during a pause in speaking.
Example:
Their house is about, oh, I'd say four miles from here.

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Taglish

Some words and phrases and their respective definitions or uses are peculiar to Philippine English and may not appear in most English dialects. 

Some examples are:

Apartelle - A budget hotel.

Ballpen - A ball point pen, or simple a pen.

Barbecue - Roasted meat must be cut into pieces and put into a skewer in order to qualify as a "barbecue", basically a satay.

Batch - A graduating class.

Biodata - A resumé.

Blowout - taking several people out to a restaurant and paying for everybody.

Boundary - An amount public transport drivers pay their operators daily; any excess belongs to the driver as his daily wage. (jargon)

Brod - Short for brother. Usually used among members of a college fraternity.

Cabinet (furniture) - refers to "closet".

Calling Card - refers to a "business card," not a phone card.

Change oil - An oil change.

Chit - A restaurant bill.

Combo - A musical band.

Commute - Same meaning as in other forms of English, but is almost always used to refer to the act of taking public transportation.

Commuter - Same meaning as in other forms of English, but implies one who takes public transport (rarely used to refer to motorists, often excluding them).

Coupon Bond - Bond paper. Coupon here is pronounced /kopon/ not /kyupon/.

Course - While also used to refer to individual classes/subjects (as in US English), a "course" often refers to an entire degree program (as in UK English).

CR (Comfort Room) - Toilet, bathroom.

Dine-in - "Eat in", "for here"

Dormer - A dormitory resident.

Drawer (furniture) - refers to the whole "dresser," rather than to individual drawers.

Duster - A loose house dress or sun-dress.

For a while - Used on the telephone to mean "please wait".

Get down / go down (a vehicle) - "Get off". Derived from Tagalog context ("Bumaba ka", literally meaning "(you) get down").

Gimmick - A planned or unplanned night out with friends.

Green jokes - Dirty jokes

Jeepney - mass transit trams originally made from US military jeeps. (See "Owner" below)

Middle name - Mother's maiden name.

Officemate - a co-worker

Open/close the light/computer/TV - Turn/switch on /off the light/computer/TV.

Owner - a Jeep-derived vehicle for private, non-commercial use.

Pack-Up - used instead of "wrap-up" when referring to movie sets, presentations, etc.

Parlor - salon, i.e. beauty parlor = beauty salon

Pentel pen - A marker.

Practicumer - Refers to a student who participates in a course of study that involves the supervised practical application of previously studied theory; an intern. (Practicum - internship)

Remembrance - A souvenir or memento.

Rubber shoes - Sneakers or athletic shoes.

Rugby - Rubber cement.

Salvage - A slang word for summary execution. The meaning evolved from frequent usage in sentences such as 'The corpse was salvaged from the Pasig river', from "salvage" meaning recovered or found. The victim would usually be a victim of summary      execution. The word may also be related to the Spanish-derived Tagalog slang "sinalbahe" (literally "turned bad").

Better : 'The corpse of a salvaged person was found floating on the Pasig River.' 

The above sentence would mean the person was salvaged on the Pasig River.

Sari-Sari Store - refers to a convenience store or booth.Sari-sari is Tagalog for "mixed variety," but the term is generally used in English communication. Sometimes called a "variety store" in the Canadian sense.

Shooting (film) - used in the movie industry instead of "filming".

Slang - Good English pronunciation

Slippers - Flip flops.

Softdrink - Filipinos prefer to spell soft drink as one word.

Step-in - Stylish ladies' sandals minus the strap.

Stow away - To run away from home.

Subdivision - A gated community.

The other day - Used specifically to refer to the "day before yesterday" (from the Tagalog expression "noong isang araw").

Thrice - Three times. While it is also used in other forms of English, it is much more prevalent in Philippine English.

Toga - refers to the commencement/graduation gown

Tomboy - A boyish lesbian. A "tomboy" is almost always presumed to be a lesbian, although the word is rarely used for feminine-looking lesbians.

Traffic - implies a traffic jam. Often used as an adjective, referring to heavy traffic volume.

Violet - used instead of "purple."

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