1. Generalizing With Articles

There are many rules about the use of articles (a, an, the) and an
exception for each rule that you successfully learn. The use of
articles can make the difference between a 'good' level of English
language ability and an 'excellent' level of English ability. Here
are a few rules to help you on your way to becoming excellent!

When you are speaking about an entire class of things in general,
such as animals or musical instruments, you need to use 'the'. For
example:
-The saxophone is a beautiful instrument. (This is not just one saxophone but ALL saxophones everywhere, the CLASS or group of saxophone).
-The flute is one of the oldest instruments in the world. (The entire class of flute, not one specific flute).
-The dog is man's best friend. (Not one dog, but the class of dog).

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules, and here it is:
You can use a, an or the if the sentence can speak about either
the entire class or any one animal or instrument. For example:
The shark is a dangerous fish. (the entire class)
A shark is a dangerous fish. (any one shark)
A piano has 36 black keys. (any one piano)
The piano has 36 black keys. (the entire class)

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