oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

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204 The + adjective
The adjective can be modified by an adverb.
the very rich the severely disabled
Some adjectives normally take an adverb.
the more/less fortunate the mentally ill
NOTE
a In a few contexts, the + adjective can mean a specific group rather than people in general.
The injured were taken to hospital.
b A few adjectives can come after a/an to mean a specific person.
Now a superstar, she was an unknown only two years ago.
c There are a few adjectives that we can use as nouns, such as colour words. They take s in
the plural.
a black (= a black person) the Greens (= supporters of the green movement)
d For the French, •288.
2 Abstract qualities
a
b
c
We can use some adjectives after the to refer to things in general which have an
abstract quality.
There are a lot of books on the supernatural.
The human race has a great thirst for the unknown.
The supernatural means 'supernatural happenings in general'. Other examples:
the mysterious, the unexplained, the absurd, the ordinary, the old, the new.
The noun phrase takes a singular verb.
The new drives out the old.
A few adjectives can have a more specific meaning.
The unexpected happened. (= something that was unexpected)
Have you heard the latest? (= the latest news)
Also: fear the worst, hope for the best, in the dark
We use the+ adjective + thing to talk about a particular quality or aspect of a
situation. This usage is rather informal.
It was an amusing sight, but the annoying thing (about it) was that I didn't have
my camera with me.
We cannot leave out thing here.