Uniqueness

We use the with things that we already know about because they are unique. Some

things are unique because they are physically or logically unique, for example, the sun, the moon, the horizon, the earth, the north pole, the future, and the past. More frequently, however, we come across things that are unique in a particular context or situation. For example, if there is only one freeway in town, we would always use the because it is unique, even though there has been no previous mention of the

freeway in the conversation. For example,

They live on the other side of the freeway.

If you were in the shower and you heard the telephone ringing, you might call

out, “Can somebody answer the phone?” The word phone has not been previously

mentioned, but in this context the ringing of the phone makes it unique.

If there were a major sporting event taking place, everyone would know what a

speaker meant when he or she said, “Who’s winning the game?” The noun game is

defined by its uniqueness in that context.