The pencil is broken. Smoking is the only vice I have. Linguine is the best pasta on earth. We use the with a singular countable noun in certain instances to make a statement about the entire group. The lily grows in the spring.
Lilies grow in the spring.
The cow is our friend. Cows are our friends . American businesses revolve around computers. The Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903. The rest came after the initial invention.