V. THE ARTICLE

A. DEFINITE (definido o determinado).

I. The = el, m. sing., los, m. pl., la, f. sing.,

las, f. pl., 10, neut., sing. (only). 124.

2. El must be used before feminine singular

nouns beginning with stressed a or ha : el agua, el hacha, the ax; plural, las aguas, las hachas. 125.

3. De + el = del ; a + el = al. 126.

4. The definite article is used:

1.  Before nouns denoting a whole class of objects. This is called the " generic " use of the article: el pan es muy necesario, bread is very necessary. 127.

2. Before names of languages, except, usually, when immediately following hablar or the preposition en : el espariol es dificil; hablo ingles; escribo en espariol. 128.

3. Before names of some cities and countries: la Habana, el Canada, el Peru, El Salvador, los Estados Unidos, la America del Sur. 129.

4.  Before proper names modified by an adjective: el pequerio Tomas, little Thomas. 130.

5. Before tides in speaking of, but not to, a person: el Presidente Fernandez; la

USES OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE 29

senora Jones. Exceptions: don and doria never require the definite article. 131.

(f). Before a noun in apposition to a pronoun: nosotros los norteamericanos, we North Americans. 132.

7.  Before modified time expressions: el alio pasado, last year; el lunes que viene, next Monday. 133.

8.  Before the days of the week, gxcept in dates.,: no estudio los sabados, I do not study on Saturdays. But, hoy, lunes, 22 de mayo. 134.

9. Before numerals in dates, except when following a place name, as in the heading of letters, or after the day of the week (see 134): el 4 de julio. 135.

10. Before an infinitive used as noun, especially if it has modifiers or comes first in the sentence: el estudiar mucho es bueno; but, es bueno estudiar mucho. See 413. 136.

11.  Before clauses used as nouns (see 589): el que Vd. este aqui me gusta, it pleases me that you are here. 137.

(1) In many idiomatic expressions: voy a la escuela; en la tienda de Pardo, at Pardo's. 138.

5. The definite article is omitted:

(a) Usually before a noun in apposition: la Puerta del Sol, plaza principal de Madrid.