Geographical oppositions

You use the definite article before a number of nouns which indicate geographical alternatives, for example 'the town' . 'the country' and 'the sea'· 'the land'.

There are compensations in the town, particularly for older children.

I'd gone to the country with some friends.

...tourists who take their holidays in the mountains rather than at the seaside.

...rain hammering the land and the forest.

We are not referring to a particular place, for example a particular town or forest. We are talking about the types of landscape or geographical environments where people live, work, or go for holidays.

Here are some words you can use like this: the city, the desert, the land, the sea, the country, the forest, the mountains, the seaside, the countryside, the jungle, the plains, the town.

'The country' in this context means areas where there are no towns or cities. You can sometimes use 'the countryside' with a similar meaning.

'Sea' is used in certain prepositional expressions without the.

...after he'd gone to sea.

...the main danger to naval forces and shipping at sea.

Directions

Nouns indicating directions, such as 'north', 'south', 'east', and 'west', and 'left' and 'right', have the definite article.

Then circle to the left.

...across the border to the south.

...just to the north of the little bay.

'North', 'south', 'east', and 'west' can also be used with the definite article to refer to one part of a country; if they refer to an accepted region they sometimes begin with a capital letter.

...while she was away in the north.

...in the North o f England.

You can use 'the left' and 'the right' to describe the political movements which support socialism and capitalism respectively; 'left' and 'right' may start with a capital letter in this case.

...the parties of the left.

...pressure by the Left.

Note: These words are also used as adverbs without an article. I was again heading north.

Seasons

When you are talking about a specific occurrence of a season, you usually use the definite article.

You'll feel better in the spring.

In dates you say, for example, 'spring 1974' but 'the spring of 1974'. When you are talking generally about a season or what happens in a season, you can use the definite article or no article.

I do some rock-climbing in the summer, ski in the winter.

It was a wide, high-ceilinged room, excessively cold in winter.

You can pick out one particular period using the indefinite article.

I spent a summer in the Netherlands.

In American English it is more common to refer to the seasons with the definite article (except after 'next' and 'last').