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The definite article "the" and known information

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As one of the rules of article usage, "the" is put before a noun or a noun phrase to indicate information known to the writer and the reader, so is "the" necessary to indicate old information or is it necessary only if you want to emphasize the topic you focus on?

To make my point clearer, I listed two examples ("the" in brackets):

  1. Love is everywhere. There are love between people, love of nature, and love of knowledge. Among these, (the) love between people is the most beautiful on the world.

  2. Gay marriage is still illegal in many countries, although people become more aware of the necessity and significance of its recognition. As we all know, gay or lesbian love is never a new topic. People who love each other deserve to be blessed, recognized by the society, and protected by law. There are campaigns, parades and festivals every year around the world to support these underprivileged. There are constant reports on tragedies of these people. Even so, (the) gay marriage is still strongly opposed by many countries.

I know there are many factors that influence the usage of articles: discourse information, literature knowledge, writing style. I searched the site, and there seem to be little cases representative of my confusion.

I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks!


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