FOCUS : GRAMMAR AND THE ARTICLE

JUST WHO WAS BILBO BAGGINS? DON'T YOU HATE IT WHEN PRIOR KNOWLEDGE IS ASSUMED? ANYHOW WE ARE BACK ON THE TRAIL OF THE HUMBLE BUT ESSENTIAL 'ARTICLE'.

tHE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SHIRE AND THE SHIRE WOULD BE? [NOT RHETORICAL]

WHAT ARE THE SHIRES? BASICALLY THE NOVADS - WORCESTERSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE, LEICESTERSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE, CHESHIRE, YORKSHIRE, BERKSHIRE, WARWICKSHIRE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, LANCASHIRE, HUNTINGDONSHIRE, HEREFORDSHIRE, HERTFORDSHIRE, LINCOLNSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND SO ON.... HERE IS WHERE THEY ARE - ALSO KNOWN AS 'MIDDLE ENGLAND' [MIDDLE EARTH???]