article+ members of the family

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astaf

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Could you please explain or give a link to a general rule of article usage with members of the family . Here are 2 examples :


At 8 o'clock father puts on his coat and goes to work .

The mother asks the boy to help her .

Whats the difference ? Why do we use article in the second sentence and dont use in the first ?

Thank you
 

2006

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Could you please explain or give a link to a general rule of article usage with members of the family . Here are 2 examples :


At 8 o'clock father puts on his coat and goes to work . The writer is talking about his/her father.
The writer could have said 'At 8 o'clock my father puts......'

The mother asks the boy to help her. It's not the writer's mother; it may or not be the boy's mother.
It's an unidentified but specific mother that the writer is talking about.
Thank you
Does that help some?
 
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