After reading the comments below, I must add the following. Usage of articles in English is not always easy to define by rules. Much, if not most of the usage is simply idiomatic. The more you practice, especially reading current literature or news within the past 25 years, the more you will get a "feel" for when to use the article and when not. In other words, my advice is not to try too hard to memorize the rules, because the rules will drive you crazy. Just practice, practice, practice!

In the first sentence the use of the pronoun "he" is a problem. You can only use a pronoun if the listener or reader first knows who "he" is. Here is a better way to say it: I was with my friend Vladimir when I saw a girl I met earlier in the day. I was trying to persuade this girl to go with me, but he (Vladimir) came in the middle of my act and destroyed it. He told her I was married and had three children." Good luck Alyosha!

"Oh sorry. I got the wrong number" or, "Oh sorry, I have the wrong number." More and more the verb "to get" is replacing the verb "to have". Welcome to American English!

It can also mean that a similar program was started in Bangalore. "To take up" is a split infinitive verb, and the usual translation is "to begin to do" or "to begin to learn". When you ask a question with "take up", you usually have to put the indirect object in between "take" and "up". Example: "did you take Brian up on his offer?" Hope this helps! Do you have any more questions I can take you up on?

Heather is correct. But maybe another example would help. I will give you two sentences. 1. "I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers." (this is a line from a famous movie called "Streetcar Named Desire". 2. "I had always depended upon the kindness of strangers." In the first sentence, the speaker is saying that she always depended upon the kindness of strangers, and continues to do so until the present. In the second sentence, the speaker is saying that she USED to depend upon the kindness of strangers, but now no longer does (something changed her ability to depend upon the kindness of strangers.) Hope this helps!

In this phrase, I believe "learn the dance" refers to somebody learning how to navigate a system that is not open on its face. In most parts of the world, a political system has two ways of operating; the first is what the rules on the paper in the books say, the second is how the system really operates. "Learn the dance" refers to the second system. For example, in many parts of the world, the government will not do what they say they will do unless you know who in the government to pay a bribe. Once you know who to give the bribe to, then you have "learned the dance". Sad but true!

Be careful using the phrase "pick me up". If you use it as a noun as in, "I need a pick me up", or "let me give you a pick me up", then it means something to lift up your mood or make you feel better. In this fashion, it can refer as well to alcohol or illegal drugs. However, if you use the verb/phrase "pickup" it can have a sexual connotation. For example, many times young men say to each other, "let's go to the party and see if we can pick up any girls." This is a split infinitive verb as in "to pick up". The next day, the young men might be asked by their friends, "were you able to pick up any girls?" It can also refer to a casual date or chance sexual encounter. Example: "I met him last night. He was just a pickup." Or, "I was never serious about her. She was only a pickup." Another very vulgar example is sometimes prostitutes say to potential customers on the street or in a club, "hey, would you like to pick me up?" Use caution with these phrases!

"Hard" can be used as an adverb or adjective in almost any situation, while "difficult" is generally used only for actions. For example, you would never say "the rock is difficult". You would always say, "the rock is hard". On the other hand, you could say either, "the lesson was hard" or "the lesson was difficult". Try going through these examples: 1. The car was _____ to drive. 2. After lifting weights, the muscles in my arms were _____. 3. It was ______ to see the truth after listening to both people. 4. I want to learn Cantonese, but the language is too _____. 5. How was your daughter's chicken curry? "I found it _____ to eat, but I did not want to discourage her." 6. After the eggs were boiled, they were ______. Caution! Use of the word "hard" can sometimes have a sexual connotation and may be considered very vulgar in some conversations. (It refers to a person being sexually excited. Very common slang.) Good luck! Greg F.