ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this chance to express my greatest gratitude to Mr Dang Ngoc Nam, my supervisor, for his patience in providing continuous and careful guidance as well as encouragement, indispensable suggestions and advice I am greatly indebted to the teachers of English at Yen Lac High School, especially Mr Pham Minh Thang for his help and guidance while I was carrying out the survey I wish to thank all the lecturers at Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2, especially the lecturers in the Foreign Language Faculty for their dedicated instructions during my years of university work I am particularly grateful to my close friends for their enthusiasm and kindness is helping me collect valuable reference documents and data for my research Last but not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to my beloved family, for their whole-hearted encouragement and endless support ii ABSTRACT The definite article “the” is an interesting category of English grammar As a part of speech, it is considered an adjective because it modifies a noun It can play the different functions However, the uses of the definite article “the” referred to in some books have not been deal with in full and sometimes cause confusion to learners of English As a result, students of English often make errors when they use the definite article “the” Therefore, this research work entails studying the uses of the definite article “the” and conducting a survey for error analysis Base on the results of the survey, the type of errors and causes have been found Solutions to the problems have been suggested iii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Title: Common Errors in the Use of the Definite Article “The” (Graduation paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in English) I certify that no part of the above report has been copied from any other person’s work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written by me under instructions of my supervisor Date submitted: May 2013 Student Supervisor Nguyen Thi Minh Dang Ngoc Nam iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v PART ONE INTRODUCTION I- Rationale II- Research presupposition III- Research objectives IV- Research scope V- Research tasks VI- Research methods VII- Significance of the proposed research VIII- Design of the research work PART TWO DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1 Literature review in brief I.2 The articles I.2.1 Definition I.2.2 Classification I.3 The definite article “the” I.3.1 Definition I.3.2 Functions I.3.2.1 As a demonstrative adjective v I.3.2.2 As a possessive adjective I.3.2.3 As a quantifier I.3.2.4 As a pre-determiner 10 I.3.3 Uses 10 I.3.3.1 The use of “the” for classifying 10 I.3.3.1.1 The group as a whole: “the” + nationality adjective 10 I.3.3.1.2 The group as a whole: “the” + plural names 11 I.3.3.1.3 Specified group: “the” + collective noun or plural countable 11 I.3.3.2 The use of “the” for specifying 11 I.3.3.2.1 Specifying by means of back- reference 11 I.3.3.2.2 Specifying by means of “the” + noun + “of” 11 I.3.3.2.3 Specifying by means of clauses and phrases 11 I.3.3.2.4 Specifying within a limited context 12 I.3.3.3 The use of “the” in time expressions 12 I.3.3.3.1 The use of “the” in time sequences 12 I.3.3.3.2 The use of “the” with parts of the day 13 I.3.3.3.3 The use of “the” with the seasons 13 I.3.3.3.4 The use of “the” in dates 13 I.3.3.3.5 The use of “the” in fixed time expressions 13 I.3.3.4 The use of “the” with unique items other than place names 13 I.3.3.5 Other references with “the” 14 I.3.4 Differences between “the” and other articles 14 I.3.4.1 Differences between “a/ an” and “the” 14 I.3.4.2 Differences between zero article and “the” 15 CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF ARTICLE “THE” II.1 Survey 16 II.1.1 Purpose of the survey 16 II.1.2 Population of the survey 16 vi II.1.3 Type of the survey 17 II.1.4 Construction of the survey 17 II.1.5 Preparation of the survey 17 II.1.5.1 Test items 17 II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the test items 18 II.1.6 Administration of the try-out 18 II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out 18 II.1.6.2 Try-out 19 II.1.7 Method of data analysis 19 II.1.8 Results of the survey 19 II.2 Common errors and causes 21 II.2.1 Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the indefinite article “a” 21 II.2.2 Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the indefinite article “an”.21 II.2.3 Errors in the use of the article “the” and the zero article 22 II.2.4 Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the quantifiers 22 II.2.5 Errors in the use of the definite article “the” and the pre-determiners 23 II.2.6 Other common errors 23 II.3 Suggested solutions and suggested exercises 24 II.3.1 Suggested solutions 24 II.3.2 Suggested exercises 26 PART THREE CONCLUSION CONCLUSION 27 REFERRENCES 29 APPENDICES 31 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 31 SUGGESTED EXERCISES 36 ZERO ARTICLE OR “THE” WITH PLACE NAMES 41 vii PART ONE INTRODUCTION I RATIONALE English is an international language and it’s used in many fields such as finance and banking; commerce; politics; etc As a result, people are rushing to acquire this language and in Vietnam the learning and teaching English are now mushrooming However, to acquire this language is not easy at all To some extends, English is easier than other languages like Chinese, French, etc For instance, it is said that English words are much easier to write and memorize than Chinese ones But some aspects in English like its grammar and phonology are complicated In Vietnam, learners are facing some difficulties In terms of language, they find English difficult because beside its general rules, English contains many exceptions like irregular verbs Especially, Vietnamese learners find English intonation is really complicated In term of methodology, the teaching English in Vietnam is not very good and not unified In some parts of the country, the teachers apply the traditional method In other parts, they apply the CLT Furthermore, some teachers especially those who are in the countryside are not qualified, which is sometimes the barrier preventing the progress of learners In short, though Vietnamese learners are trying to study English, the result doesn’t come up to our expectations due to both subjective and objective causes In fact, for the language itself, many things should be mentioned like the grammar, phonology, semantics, etc Beginners of foreign language always meet difficulties from the outset The definite article “the” is one of the language categories which is proved that English grammar is complex and often causes embarrassment to students Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are many errors which may be made Therefore, students of English are always faced with many obstacles in using the definite article “the” They not know how to use the definite article “the” correctly and they often confuse between the indefinite, the zero and the definite article For example: Association of Southeast Asian Nations He is a man for a job! None other can it so well With the aims of helping students of English to overcome these difficulties as well as a prospective teacher, I would like to make a contribution to the English teaching in Vietnam For the reasons above, this thesis is conducted, which focuses on errors in the use of the definite article “the” among the students of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School II RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION With regard to the errors quoted above, the correct version could be: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations He is the man for the job! None other can it so well Some questions are raised: 1) What kinds of errors are made by the students of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013? 2) What kinds of errors in the use of the definite article “the” is the most often made by the eleventh-grade students of English at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013? 3) What are the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article “the” made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013? 4) What are some effective ways that help the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 overcome these difficulties in the use of the definite article “the”? Based on the questions above, I am eager to learn about the problems and make an error analysis in the definite article “the” so that the major errors in the use of the definite article may be found III RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study is aimed at the following goals: 1) To find out the kinds of errors made by the eleventh-grade students of English at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 in using the definite article "the" 2) To find out the main errors in the use of the definite article "the" most often made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 3) To find out the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article "the" made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 4) To find the best solutions to the problems throughout the survey The solutions might be concentrated on both theory and practice, in which some teaching techniques are also introduced with the goal of minimizing students’ errors in Yen Lac High School IV RESEARCH SCOPE The general research area of this study is grammar The phenomenon is errors in the use of the definite article "the" made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 Others relating to the definite article "the" are also brief mentioned The population involved in the study is eighty eleventh-grade students of English (11A4, 11A5) at Yen Lac High School V RESEARCH TASKS The study involves fulfilling the following tasks: 1) To study the definition and characteristics of the definite article "the" 2) To research into the functions and uses of the definite article "the" 3) To compare and contrast the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a, an” 4) To conduct a survey to find out error types and causes On the basis of the findings, possible solutions to the problems are found to minimize the students’ errors VI RESEARCH METHODS To achieve the objectives of the study, the following methods have been applied: 1) Collecting documents from books listed in the references 2) Consulting the supervisor, experienced teachers and friends 3) Synthesizing theoretical documents on English grammar 4) Conducting a survey and analyzing the results VII SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH Errors in any language teaching and learning, particularly in English as a foreign language, are sometimes predictable and sometimes unpredictable It is, therefore, essential for teachers to have better treatment to anticipate errors After the research, it is hoped that the results will be helpful to provide: 1) Input for learners of English in order to minimize their errors in the use of the definite article "the" 2) Input for teachers of English with information on error types and solutions to the problems so that they can have good methods of teaching the definite article "the" This study is also beneficial to anyone who is interested in the definite article "the" in English VIII DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH WORK The research work has three main parts, namely: Introduction, Development, and Conclusion The part “Development” consists of two chapters Chapter one is entitled “Theoretical Background” It consists of two sections Section one reviews literature in brief The second one deals with things related to the definite article "the" such as definition, characteristics, functions, and uses of the definite article "the" Moreover, the differences between the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a, an” REFERENCES Andrusiak, I V (2004) The Use of Articles in English Uzhhorod Alexander, L G (1990) Longman English Grammar Practice for Intermediate Students Essex: Longman Aztar, B S (2000) Understanding and Using English Grammar New York: Longman Baugh, L S (1993) Essentials of English Grammar Illinois: Passport Books Close, R.A (1979) A Reference Grammar for Student of English England Longman Dean, M (1994) English Grammar Lesson Oxford: Oxford University Press Eastwood, J (1992) Oxford Practice Grammar Oxford University Press Eastwood, J (1994) Oxford Guide to English Grammar Oxford: Oxford University Press Graver, B D (1986) Advanced English Practice Oxford: Oxford University Press Halliday, M A K (1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar London: Edward Arnold Hewings, M.(1999) Advanced Grammar in Use Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Jacobs, R A (1995) English Syntax: A Grammar for English Language Professionals Oxford: Oxford University Press Lim, P L et al (1992) TOEFL Grammar Workbook New York: Arco Publishing Murphy, R (2000) English Grammar in Use Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Murphy, R (2000) English Grammar in Use: A Selft-study Reference and Practice Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Quirk, R et al (1985) A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language London: Longman Quirk, R (1973) A University Grammar of English England: Longman 29 Sinclair, J et al (1990) Collins Cobuild English Grammar Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers Swan, M (1984) Basic English Usage Oxford: Oxford University Press Thomson, A J & Martinet, A V (1989) A Practical English Grammar Oxford: Oxford University Press Vince, M (1994) Advanced Language Practice Oxford: Heinemann Vince, M (2003) Intermediate Language Practice Oxford: Macmillan Press Walker, E & Elsworth, S (2000) Grammar Practice for Intermediate Students Essex: Longman Walker, E & Elsworth, S (2000) Grammar Practice for Pre-intermediate Students Essex: Longman Walker, E & Elsworth, S (2000) Grammar Practice for Upper-intermediate Students Essex: Longman 30 APPENDICES SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE I) Exercise 1: Insert “a”, “an”, “the” where necessary Someone threw _ egg which struck the speaker on _ shoulder I have _ headache I saw _ accident this morning He is _ thoroughly selfish man; he wouldn’t lift _ finger to help anyone This morning I bought _ newspaper and _ magazine _ newspaper is in my bag, but I can’t remember where I put _ magazine My friends live in _ old house in _ small village There is _ beautiful garden behind _ house I would like to have _ garden like that I haven’t been to _ cinema for ages You’ll find _ information you need at _ top of _ page 15 What’s _ capital city of Canada? 10 He is not so clever _ actor as his brother II) Exercise 2: Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence 11 _ cars have wheels A all B the C a D an 12 Why are you standing there with _ hands in _ pockets? A the/ a B the/ your C the/ the D your/ your 13 At most meetings _ people vote by raising _ right hands A Ø /a B a/ an C the /the D Ø /their 14 We didn’t buy _ flowers A the B an C any D a 15 They tied _ hands behind _ back and locked him in a cellar A the/ a B the/ an C his/ his D the/ the 16 He took _ shoes off and entered on _ tiptoe A his/ Ø B the/ a C the/ the 31 D his/ his 17 Can I have _ sugar, please? A some B the C a D Ø 18 _ computer is much more powerful than that one A the B this C a D an 19 She is not very popular She has _ friends A an B few C the D a 20 On _ hill was an old fort A yonder B the C a D an 21 Ask _ woman in frond of you to take off _ hat A a/ her B the/ her C the/ the D the/ a 22 Have you read any of _ books? A the B these C this D some 23 Can I have _ milk in my coffee, please? A some B an C the D Ø 24 I didn’t have _ money, so I had to borrow _ A any/ some B the/ some C some/ some D the/ any 25 _ students passed the oral examination A the B all C a D an C a D all C this D a C the D an 26 _ flowers are beautiful A The B an 27 _ shirt is really cheap A The B an 28 whose are _ books? A a B those 29 Joe says that _ museums are boring A all B the C an D a 30 _ members are listening to music A The B these C Ø D a 32 III) Exercise 3: Some of these sentences are correct, but some need “the” (sometimes more than once) Correct the sentences where necessary 31 Everest was first climbed in 1953 32 Milan is in north of Italy 33 Africa is much larger than Europe 34 Last year I visited Mexico and United States 35 South of England is warmer than north 36 Portugal is in Western Europe 37 France and Britain are separated by Channel 38 Jim has travelled a lot in Middle East 39 Chicago is on Lake Michigan 40 Next year we’re going skiing in Swiss Alps Thank You for Your Cooperation! 33 KEY I) Exercise 1: Insert “a”, “an”, “the” where necessary Someone threw an egg which struck the speaker on the shoulder I have a headache I saw an accident this morning He is a thoroughly selfish man; he wouldn’t lift a finger to help anyone This morning I bought a newspaper and a magazine The newspaper is in my bag, but I can’t remember where I put the magazine My friends live in an old house in a small village There is a beautiful garden behind the house I would like to have a garden like that I haven’t been to the cinema for ages You’ll find the information you need at the top of Ø page 15 What’s the capital city of Canada? 10 When was the telephone invented? II) Exercise 2: Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence 11 A 21 B 12 D 22 B 13 D 23 A 14 C 24 A 15 C 25 B 16 A 26 D 17 A 27 C 18 B 28 B 19 B 29 A 20 B 30 B 34 III) Exercise 3: Some of these sentences are correct, but some need “the” (sometimes more than once) Correct the sentences where necessary 31 Everest was first climbed in 1953  Correct 32 Milan is in north of Italy Milan is in the north of Italy 33 Africa is much larger than Europe Correct 34 Last year I visited Mexico and United States Last year I visited Mexico and the United States 35 South of England is warmer than north The South of England is warmer than the north 36 Portugal is in Western Europe Correct 37 France and Britain are separated by Channel France and Britain are separated by the Channel 38 Jim has travelled a lot in the Middle East Correct 39 Chicago is on Lake Michigan Correct 40 Next year we’re going skiing in Swiss Alps Next year we’re going skiing in the Swiss Alps 35 SUGGESTED EXERCISES Exercise 1: Put in “a/an” or “the” where necessary If no word is necessary, leave the space empty A: Where did you have _ lunch? B: We went to _ restaurant A: Did you have _ nice holiday? B: Yes, it was _ best holiday I’ve ever had A: Where’s _ nearest shop? B: There’s one at _ end of this street A: Do you often listen to _ radio? B: No In fact I haven’t got _ radio A: Would you like to travel in _ space? B: Yes, I’d love to go to _ moon A: Do you go to _ cinema very often? B: No, not very often But I watch a lot of films on _ television A: It was _ nice day yesterday, wasn’t it? B: Yes, it was beautiful We went for a walk by _ sea A: What did you have for _ breakfast this morning? B: Nothing I never eat _ breakfast A: Excuse me, where is _ Room 25, please? B: It’s on _ second floor 10 A: we spent all our money because we stayed at _ most expensive hotel in town B: Why didn’t you stay at _ cheaper hotel? 36 KEY: Ø… a Ø…the Ø…the a…the the…Ø 10 the…a the…the a…the the…a Ø…Ø Exercise 2: Choose the correct form, with or without “the” I’m afraid of dogs/ the dogs Can you pass salt/ the salt, please? Apples/ The apples are good for you Look at apples/ the apples on that tree! They’re very big Women/ The women live longer then men/ the men I don’t drink tea/ the tea I don’t like it We had a very good meal Vegetables/ The vegetables were especially good Life/ The life is strange sometimes Some very strange things happen I like skiing/ the skiing, but I’m not very good at it 10 Who are people/ the people in this photograph? 11 What makes people/ the people violent? What causes aggression/ the aggression? 12 All books/ All the books on the top shelf belong to me 13 Don’t stay in that hotel It’s very noisy and beds/ the beds are very uncomfortable 14 A pacifist is somebody who is against war/ the war 15 First World War/ The First World War lasted from 1914 until 1918 16 I’d like to go to Egypt and see Pyramids/ the Pyramids 17 Some one gave me a book about history/ the history of modern art/ the modern art 18 Ron and Brenda got married, but marriage/ the marriage didn’t last very long 19 Most people/ The most people believe that marriage/the marriage and family life/ the family life are the basis of society/ the society 37 KEY: dogs 11 people…aggression the salt 12 All the books Apples 13 the beds the apples 14 war Women…men 15 The First World War tea 16 the Pyramids The vegetables 17 the history of modern art Life 18 the marriage skiing 19 Most 10 the people family life … society people … Exercise 3: Where are the following? Use “the” where necessary Acropolis Kremlin Broadway Airport Times Buckingham Palace White House Eiffel Tower Gatwick Square _ is in New York _ is in Paris _ is in London _ is in Washington _ is in Moscow _ is in New York _ is in Athens _ s near London 38 marriage… KEY: Times Square The Eiffel Tower Buckingham Palace The White House The Kremlin Broadway The Acropolis Gatwick Airport Exercise 4: Circle the best answer A, B, C, D to complete each sentence: When was _ telephone invented? A a B an C the D Ø Can you play _ musical instrument? A a B an C the D Ø Jill plays _ violin in an orchestra A a B an C the D Ø There was _ piano in the corner of the room A a B an C the D Ø C the D Ø Can you play _ piano? A a B an Our society is based on _ family A a B an C the D Ø Martin comes from _ large family A a B an C the D Ø _ computer has changed the way we live A a B an C the D Ø There isn’t _ airport near where I live _ nearest airport is 70 miles away A a/the B an/the C the/a D a/a 10 Gary has a part-time job He works three mornings _ week 39 A a B an C the D Ø 11 I was too tired to _ work A the B some C any D Ø 12 You can cash these traveler’s cheques at _ bank A some B the C any D Ø 13 Can you give me _ information about places of interest in the town? A any B some C Ø D the 14 This evening I’m going out with _ friends of mine A some B any C the D Ø 15 He is lazy He never does _ work A the B any C some D Ø KEY: C B A 10 D C 11 C A 12 C C 13 B C 14 A A 15 B C Thank You for Your Cooperation! 40 ZERO ARTICLE OR “THE” WITH PLACE NAMES Most place names are used with zero, but there are some variations In particular, the is used when a countable noun like one of the following appears in the title: bay, canal, channel, gulf, kingdom, ocean, republic, river, sea, strait, union “The” is often omitted on maps Zero The Continents: Africa, Asia, Europe - Geographical areas: Central Asia, Inner The Arctic, the Balkans, London, Lower Egypt, the Equator, the Middle Outer Mongolia, Upper East, the North Pole, the Austria Historical references: West Ancient Greece, Medieval The Dark Ages, the Europe, pre-war/post-war Renaissance, the Stone Germany, Roman Britain Lakes: Lake Constance, Age Lake - Erie, Lake Geneva Oceans/seas/rivers The Pacific (Ocean), the Caspian (Sea), the Nile - (or the River Nile), the Mississippi (or the Mississippi River), the Suez Canal Mountains: Everest, Mont Blanc The Jungfrau, the Matterhorn Mountain ranges: Islands: - Christmas Island, Delos, The Isle of Capri, the Isle Easter Island Groups of islands: The Alps, the Himalayas - 41 of Man The Azores, the Bahamas Deserts: The Gobi (Desert), the - Kalahari (Desert), the Sahara (Desert) Countries: Most countries: Finland, Unions and associations: Germany, Turkey, etc the ARE (the Arab Republic of Egypt), the UK (the United Kingdom), the USA (the United States of America), the USSR (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) A few countries: the Argentine, (the) Sudan, (the) Yemen States/countries: Most states/countries: The Vatican Bavaria, Ohio, Surrey Cities: Universities: Most cities: Denver, The City (of London), the London, Lyons Hague Cambridge University The University of Cambridge Streets, etc.: Most streets: London The High Street, the Road, Madison Avenue, Strand, the Drive, Note: Oxford Street, Piccadilly the London road (= the Circus road that leads to London) Parks: Central park, Hyde Park Addresses: 49 Albert Place, West 25 the Drive, 74 the Street, Gordon Square 42 - Crescent Buildings: Buckingham Palace, The British Museum, the Westminster Abbey Library of Congress Other locations: The is sometimes part of the title, sometimes not: Bridges London Bridge Cinemas The Golden Gate Bridge - The Gaumont, the Odeon Hospitals Guy’s (Hospital) The London Hospital Hotels Brown’s Hotels The Hilton (Hotel) Places Death Valley Heaven, The Hades Pubs Everglades, the Underworld - The White Horse Restaurants Leoni’s (Restaurant) Shops Selfridges Marks The Café Royal and The Scotch House Spencers Stations Victoria (Station), Waterloo (Station) Theatres - Her Majesty’s (Theatre), The Phoenix (Theatre), Sadler’s Wells (Theatre) the Coliseum (Theatre) 43 [...]... in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a” 2) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “an” 3) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the zero article 4) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the quantifiers 17 5) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners 6) Other common errors II.1.5.2... the definite article "the" and the indefinite article "a, an" However, most of them could not distinguish the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners Also based on the survey analysis, the errors made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School were noted as follows 1 Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a” 43.12% 2 Errors in the use of the. .. Common errors and causes II.2.1 Errors in the use of the definite article the and the indefinite article “a” The errors in the use of the definite article the and the indefinite article “a” among the eleventh -grade students at Yen Lac High School are the most common The errors of this type account for 43.12% According to the analysis; there were no students whose percentage of errors in using the. .. students of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School, some suggestions are made in the hope of minimizing students errors in connection with the definite article the As can be seen from the previous part of the thesis, the students errors are due to their limited understanding of the use of the definite article "the" After analyzing the errors made by the students of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High. .. English at Yen Lac High School often make errors in the use of the definite article "the" The survey shows that the highest percentage of error is in the use of the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners, which account for 62.5% The second commonest are the error in the use of the definite article "the" and the zero article, which stand 55.89% .The errors related to the use of the definite article. .. the and the indefinite article “an” The errors in the uses of the definite article the and the zero article, the indefinite article “a”, the quantifiers, and the other common errors are 55.89%, 43.12%, 39% and 54.79%, respectively 20 Overall, the results obviously showed that there are many errors in the use of the definite article the that the students of English in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School. .. 2: Common errors in the uses of the definite article the The bar chart states the common errors in the uses of the definite article the made by the eleventh -grade students of English at Yen Lac High School From the chart above, it can be identified which error level made with the definite article "the" is highest and which is the lowest The highest percentage of error is the one in the use of the. .. the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners, which accounts for 62.5% The lowest percentage of error is the one in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “an”, only 31.87% Thus, the percentage of students who made errors in the use of the definite article the and the pre-determiners doubled the percentage of students who made errors in the use of the definite article. .. between the definite article the and the zero article have been explained Hopefully, the students will have a full look at the definite article "the" Then a survey was conducted with the aim of testing the student’s understandings of the definite article "the" and finding their common errors in the use of the definite article "the" The outcome of the survey proves that the eleventh -grade students of English... talking about unknown or uncertain amounts or numbers of things II.2.5 Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the pre-determiners The errors in the use of the definite article the and the pre-determiners among the eleventh -grade students at Yen Lac High School are the most common The errors of this type account for 62.5% There were ten students whose percentage of error in the use of definite ... Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “a” 2) Errors in the use of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article “an” 3) Errors in the use of the definite. .. in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013 3) To find out the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article "the" made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac. .. English at Yen Lac High School in the academic year of 2012/2013? 3) What are the causes of the errors in the use of the definite article the made by the students in grade 11 at Yen Lac High School