student asking question

Why does "the" put before "White House"? Should I always put "the"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"The" is a definite article. We use it in speech when we are being specific about the noun we are talking about. In this case saying "the White House" let us know that we are talking about a specific white house, the one in which the president lives. By omitting "the" and simply saying "White House" we have no idea which house. It could be any house that happens to be white. Ex: Do you have the book? (A specific book that you need) Ex: Do you have a book? (Any book. Not specific) Ex: I want to watch the new Tom Hanks movie. (A specific movie with Tom Hanks in it) Ex: I want to watch a Tom Hanks movie. (Any movie with Tom Hanks in it)

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