The article the before cities in English. The use of articles with geographical names methodological development in English (Grade 7) on the topic

In this lesson, we will consider the use of the article with proper names. As you remember, there are two articles in English: definite and indefinite. And we can talk about the so-called "zero" article, that is, about cases where the article is not used.

We have already noted in the lessons of the Elementary level that the article performs a semantic function. The presence or absence of an article can greatly affect the translation of a sentence. The article in English is the most ambiguous thing in English grammar. The article is used "by intuition" more than other grammatical phenomena. And in order to develop this intuition, you need to know the basic rules for using the article and the exception. Only then will you be able to freely navigate the articles.

Interestingly, the article can be used (or not used) even when it is prohibited by the rules! But only if you can explain why You have used one article or another. In newspapers and other literary sources, you will come across such moments of using articles that were not described in textbooks. And most of the time it won't be a mistake. It's just that not everything is covered in textbooks.

With a solid basic knowledge, you can easily understand the nuances of using the article. In the case of geographical names and names, it cannot be said for sure that the article is used only in this way and not otherwise. Therefore, when explaining the rules, "usually" or "usually" is added.

Below is information about the classic use of the article.

As you already know, articles are usually not used with country names and cities.

But, there are exceptions:

The Hague (The Hague)

countries (for historical reasons):

The Sudan, The Yemen, The Argentina - these country names can be used without the article. Also The Netherlands (Netherlands), since the name has a plural for historical reasons.

The Philippines (in fact, this is the name of a group of islands)

Countries whose names contain such terms as States, Republic, Federation, Kingdom… that is, not proper names: The United States of America, The United Kingdom, The Russian Federation. With the abbreviations of these names, the definite article is also used: The USSR.

Note

The definite and indefinite articles can be used with the names of cities and countries, but only if there is a special context.

It was the Paris of my youth. It was (the same) Paris of my youth.

"of my youth" is the context needed to use the definite article.

When he returned twenty years later, he found a new America. - When he returned 20 years later, he discovered a (some) new America.

Names of continents, (peninsulas), mountains, deserts and regions.

As a rule, when a geographical name has the ending -s, that is, an allusion to the plural, then the definite article is used with it.

Names of continents: Africa, Europe, America. Even if there are definitions before these names, the article is still not put: Western Europe, Southern America.

Mountain ranges and ranges: The Urals, The Alps, The Andes.

The names of groups of islands are always preceded by the definite article: The Canaries (Canary Islands), The Kuriles (Kuril Islands).

If there is only the name of the peninsula, then it is used without articles.

Kamchatka is famous for its geysers.

If after the name there is the word peninsular (peninsula), then the definite article is already put before the name.

The Taimyr peninsular is a very cold place.

The names of individual mountain peaks and islands are used without articles.

Mountains: Elbrus, Everest; Haiti, Cuba, Kilimanjaro.

The names of some regions are used with the definite article for historical reasons: The Crimea, The Caucasus, The Ruhr, The Tyrol.

When there is a plural in the name of the region, or a common noun, then, as a rule, the definite article is used with such names: The Highlands, The Lake District, The Far East.

Below is information about the classic use of the article.

As you already know, articles are usually not used with country names and cities.

But, there are exceptions:

The Hague (The Hague)

countries (for historical reasons):

The Sudan, The Yemen, The Argentina - these country names can be used without the article. Also The Netherlands (Netherlands), since the name has a plural for historical reasons.

The Philippines (in fact, this is the name of a group of islands)

Countries whose names contain such terms as States, Republic, Federation, Kingdom… that is, not proper names: The United States of America, The United Kingdom, The Russian Federation. With the abbreviations of these names, the definite article is also used: The USSR.

Note

The definite and indefinite articles can be used with the names of cities and countries, but only if there is a special context.

It was the Paris of my youth. It was (the same) Paris of my youth.

"of my youth" is the context needed to use the definite article.

When he returned twenty years later, he found a new America. - When he returned 20 years later, he discovered a (some) new America.

Names of continents, (peninsulas), mountains, deserts and regions.

As a rule, when a geographical name has the ending -s, that is, an allusion to the plural, then the definite article is used with it.

Names of continents: Africa, Europe, America. Even if there are definitions before these names, the article is still not put: Western Europe, Southern America.

Mountain ranges and ranges: The Urals, The Alps, The Andes.

The names of groups of islands are always preceded by the definite article: The Canaries (Canary Islands), The Kuriles (Kuril Islands).

If there is only the name of the peninsula, then it is used without articles.

Kamchatka is famous for its geysers.

If after the name there is the word peninsular (peninsula), then the definite article is already put before the name.

The Taimyr peninsular is a very cold place.

The names of individual mountain peaks and islands are used without articles.

Mountains: Elbrus, Everest; Haiti, Cuba, Kilimanjaro.

The names of some regions are used with the definite article for historical reasons: The Crimea, The Caucasus, The Ruhr, The Tyrol.

When there is a plural in the name of the region, or a common noun, then, as a rule, the definite article is used with such names: The Highlands, The Lake District, The Far East.

The use of the article "The" with geographical names, countries and languages.

Names are used without the article (including the names of cities and countries).

For example:
John, Mary, Julianna, Irina, Moscow, Odessa, Ukraine, America (but: the Hague - excl.)

Nations, nationalities, ethnic groups as a whole are used with "The".

For example:
the Americans, the Japanese, the Indians (Americans, Japanese, Indians).

Languages (only with the word language) - the English language, the Russian language.
But! Just languages without the article - English.

For example:
English, French, Russian, Thai, Swahili.

Names of states containing the word republic, union, kingdom, etc. used with "The".

For example:
The United States,
the United Kingdom,
the South African Republic,
the Soviet Union,
the German Federal Republic,
the People's Republic of China.

Countries in the singular, the name of which is perceived as a name (usually consists of 1 word), including the names of individual states, are used without the article.

For example:
England, France, China, Ukraine, Germany, Georgia, Utah, Arkansas, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, South Africa.

Countries and other place names are pluralized with "The".

For example:
the Netherlands,
the United States,
the Philippines,
the Canary Islands,
the urals,
the Great Lakes.

Oceans, seas, bays, straits, rivers, groups of lakes, archipelagos, mountain ranges, deserts have the article "The".

For example:
the Arctic, the Black Sea, the Persian Gulf, the British Channel, the Danube, the Great Lakes, the Bahamas, the Caucasus, the Sahara Desert.

But! separate lakes, waterfalls, mountains are used without the article.

For example:
Baikal, Victoria Falls, Vesuvius, Montblanc, Everest, Elbrus.

Cardinal directions - with "The".

For example:
the South, the North, the West, the Middle East.

Continents - no article.
For example:
Europe, North America, East Asia, South Africa.

Earth, sky, moon, sun - with "The".
For example:
The Earth, the sky, the Moon, the Sun.

Planets, stars, constellations do not have an article.
For example:
Jupiter, Mars.

Countries and states (no article)

Argentina - Argentina
Australia
Austria - Austria
Belgium
Brazil - Brazil
Canada
Chile - Chile
China - China
Denmark - Denmark
Egypt - Egypt
England - England
France
Germany
(Great) Britain
Greece - Greece
Holland - Holland
Hungary - Hungary
India - India
Iran - Iran
Ireland
Israel - Israel
Italy - Italy
Japan
Japan
Lebanon - Lebanon
Luxembourg - Luxembourg
Mexico - Mexico
Mongolia - Mongolia
Morocco - Morocco
Mozambique - Mozambique
New Zealand - New Zealand
Norway
Poland - Poland
Portugal - Portugal
Russia - Russia
Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia
Scotland - Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Wales - Wales

Countries and states (with the article the)

The Congo - Congo
the Netherlands
the UK (United Kingdom)
the USA (United States of America) - USA (United States of America)

Continents and geographical areas (no article)
(South/North/Latin/ Central) America - (North/South/Latin/Central) America
(Western/Eastern) Europe - (Western/Eastern) Europe
(Southeast/Central) Asia - (Southeast/Central) Asia
(South/North) Africa - (North/South) Africa
Australia
Antarctica - Antarctica
Siberia - Siberia

Continents and geographical areas (with the article the)
the (Western/Eastern/Northern/Southern) Hemisphere
the Arctic
the Antarctic - Antarctica
the (Far/Middle) East - (Far/Middle) East
the (North/South) Pole - (North/South) Pole

Some bays and lakes (no article)
Hudson Bay - Hudson Bay
San Francisco Bay - San Francisco Bay

(Lake) Baikal
Lake Victoria - Lake Victoria
Lake Superior - lake superior
Lake Huron - Lake Huron
Lake Michigan - Lake Michigan
Lake Erie - Lake Erie
Lake Ontario - Lake Ontario
Crater Lake - Crater Lake
Utah Lake - Utah Lake
Lake Geneva - Lake Geneva
Great Pond

Oceans, seas, bays, lakes, rivers, straits, canals and currents (with the article the)

The Atlantic Ocean (the Atlantic) - Atlantic Ocean
the Pacific Ocean (the Pacific) - Pacific Ocean
the Arctic Ocean - Arctic Ocean
the Indian Ocean - Indian Ocean

The Mediterranean Sea (the Mediterranean) - Mediterranean Sea
the Caribbean Sea (the Caribbean) - Caribbean Sea
the Red Sea
the Black Sea
the Caspian Sea
the North Sea
the Baltic Sea
the Barents Sea
the Bering Sea
the Yellow Sea
the Sea of Okhotsk
the Sea of Japan
the Laptev Sea - Laptev Sea

The Gulf of Mexico - Gulf of Mexico
the Bay of Bengal - Bay of Bengal
the Gulf of Finland - Gulf of Finland
the Bay of Biscay
the Persian Gulf

The Amazon (River)
the Nile (River)
the Mississippi (River) - Mississippi River
the Missouri (River) - Missouri River
the Rio Grande - Rio Grande
the Yangtze (River) - the Yangtze River
the Thames (River) / the River Thames
the Seine (River)
the Danube (River) - Danube river
the Amur (River)
the Dnepr (River) / the Dnieper
the Lena (River)
the Ob (River)
the Volga (River)
the Yenisei (River)
the Amu Darya - Amu Darya

The Strait of Gibraltar - Strait of Gibraltar
the Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais) - Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais)
the Strait of Magellan - Strait of Magellan
the Bering Strait - Bering Strait
the Dardanelles - Strait of the Dardanelles
the Bosporus/Bosphorus - the Bosphorus

The English Channel (La Manche) - English Channel (La Manche)
the Mozambique Channel - Mozambique Channel
the Suez Canal
the Panama Canal - Panama Canal
the Erie Canal

The Gulf Stream
the Florida Current
the Japan Current (the Kuroshio)

Hello! There are two troubles with the article the: either it is placed before any word, or it is forgotten about and not used at all.

The fact is that the definite article the is used with some geographical names, but not with others. To understand, you need to remember a number of rules and exceptions.

We have prepared a table for you, from which you will find out with what names you need to use the. In this material, we have included common cases and rules, but do not forget that there are exceptions to every rule.

Article the	Without article
cardinal directions The North, the South, the East, the West
poles The North Pole, the South Pole
	Continents Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Africa South Africa, South-East Asia
Regions The Far East, the north of Canada, the Middle East
Countries with plural names The Philippines, the Netherlands, the United States, the Baltic States Countries whose names include the words: republic, union, kingdom, federation The United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation	Countries with names in the singular France, Poland, Ukraine, Russia Exception: the Vatican
	States, provinces California, Florida, Texas, Quebec
	Cities Paris, London, Moscow, Kyiv Exception: the Hague
Oceans, seas, rivers The Atlantic Ocean, The Red Sea, the Thames
Lake groups	Separate lakes Lake Geneva, Lake Baikal
Island groups The Virgin Islands, the British Isles, the Canary Islands (the Canaries), the Kuril Islands (the Kurils), the Bahamas Islands (the Bahamas)	individual islands Greenland, Java, Cyprus, Madagascar, Sakhalin Exception: the Isle of Man
mountain ranges The Rocky Mountains, the Andes, the Caucasus Mountains	Separate mountains Mount Vesuvius, Mount Goverla, Mount Elbrus
Plains, valleys, deserts The Great Plains, the Mississippi Valley, the Sahara Desert Exception: Death Valley, Silicon Valley
gulfs The Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Finland	bays Hudson Bay, San Francisco Bay The Bay of Bengal

Exercises for setting the article

Exercise 1.

Interesting facts about waterspaces.

___ Bermuda Triangle is located in ___ Atlantic Ocean.
The longest river of the world is ___ Nile River.
The lowest lake of the world is ___ Dead Sea, the deepest lake is ___ Lake Baikal, the longest lake is ___ Tanganyika.
___ Lake Superior is the largest of ___ Great Lakes.
In ___ Atlantic Ocean, ___ American Mediterranean Sea is the combination of the seas of ___ Gulf of Mexico and ___ Caribbean Sea.
___ Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. ___Tugela Falls is the world's second tallest. Europe's highest waterfall is ___ Utigard in Norway.

Exercise 2. Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

During our unforgettable tour across ___ Europe we visited many countries: ___ France, ___ Belgium and ____ Netherlands in ___ Western Europe; ___ Spain and ___ Italy in ___Southern Europe; ___ Poland and ___ Belarus in ___ Eastern Europe.
The country I liked most of all was ___ amazing Italy. I got to know much about its history and culture. During the numerous excursions, I learned that ___ Medieval Italy was a real center of art.
The capital city of ___ Italy is ___ Rome. It is a city that is full of history. Walking in its streets you can easily imagine ___ Rome of ancient times, because there are a lot of historical evidence of those times.
___ Rome of today is a modern beautiful city with charming and hospitable inhabitants and a lot of tourists that are eager to do the sightseeing and to visit ___ Vatican.
Next year I want to visit ____ South America and to ____ Buenos Aires in ____ Argentina.

Exercise 3 . Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

___ Island of Madeira is historically Portuguese territory.
___ Arctic Archipelago extends from Canada to the northernmost of ___ Ellesmere Island.
A journey to ___ Greenland may appear to be unbelievably interesting.
___ Virgin Islands, also known as ___ British Virgin Islands or ___BVI, is a British territory to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up a considerable part of ___ Virgin Islands archipelago; the remaining islands make up ___ US Virgin Islands and ___ Spanish Virgin Islands.
___ Borneo is situated in the waters of the South China Sea

Exercise 4 Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

___ Death Valley is located near the border of ___California and ___Nevada, in ___ Great Basin.
There are two lighthouses near or in ___ Cape Horn.
___ Texas is the second most populous (after ___ California) and the second-largest (after___ Alaska) state. Located in ___ south central part of the country, ___ Texas borders on ___ Mexican states of ___ Chihuahua, ___ Coahuila, ___ Nuevo León, and ___ Tamaulipas to ___ south.
___ Gobi covers part of ___ northern and ___ northwestern China, and part of ___ southern Mongolia. ___ Gobi is bounded by ___ Hexi Corridor and ___Tibetan Plateau to ___ southwest, by___ North China Plain to ___southeast. ___ Gobi is notable in history as part of ___ Silk Road.

Exercise 5 Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

___ North Pole is also known as ___ Geographic North Pole or ___ Terrestrial North Pole It is defined as the point in ___ Northern Hemisphere where ___ Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface. Don't confuse it with ___ North Magnetic Field.
___East is one of the four compass points. It is the opposite of ___west and is perpendicular to ___ north and ___south.
We went from ___ East to ___ West
___ North Pole lies diametrically opposite ___ South Pole
My dwelling is in ___ South of the country.
Go straight ___ north.

One of the most difficult points of using articles in English is proper names, and in particular geographical names. A feature in them is that, according to the rules, with all words denoting a specific or one-of-a-kind object, the is used. However, it is this definite article that is richer than all the others in exceptions. That is why it is useful to consider and study separately the different cases of the use of the article the and others in combination with geographical names.

The use of articles with proper names in English

Proper nouns or proper names - individual names of specific people (Paul, Sam), countries and cities (England, Dublin), days of the week and month (August, Monday) and so on. The main classes of proper names are: personal names, calendar elements and geographical names:

a) continents;
b) countries;
c) cities;
d) rivers, lakes, seas and oceans;
e) mountains and so on.

Personal Names

1. Usually a person's name, being the name of someone who is considered unique, does not need to be defined:

Robert Shawn shrugged his shoulders. Robert Shawn shrugged.

When personal names designate individual members of a family, they are treated as countable nouns:

Remember you're an Osborne - it's a name to be proud of. - Remember that you are Osborne - this is a name to be proud of. (One of the Osborne family).

If the family is denoted as a whole, then the definite article is used:

— The Browns were resentful of something, not individually, but as a family. “The Browns were unhappy about something, not individually, but as a family.

2. When the speaker wants to emphasize the name of a person who is very famous, the definite the is used. Here, the article is strongly emphasized and pronounced [ðiː].

— I met Robert De Niro the other day. – Do you mean the Robert De Niro? “I met Robert De Niro the other day. The same Robert De Niro?

3. The indefinite article is placed before a personal name in order to indicate a specific person, usually unknown to the listener:

— I'm spending the day with a Miss Warren. “I spend the day with a certain Miss Warren.

Sometimes "certain" precedes a personal noun:

- I'm going to marry a Miss Peek. – Isn’t it a certain Sally Peek that Tommy told me you think the loveliest creature in the world? - I'm marrying Miss Peak. "Isn't that the Sally Peake you think is the most beautiful creature in the world, as Tommy said?"

4. Personal names preceded by an explanatory noun denoting titles and ranks are used without an article:

Dr. Watson;
President Lincoln;
Lord Byron.

If the appositive noun denotes work, nationality or faith, then the is put, but sometimes (especially in American English) the article is omitted:

— (The ) artist Stubbs painted mostly horses. – The artist Stubbs painted mostly horses.

Journalistic style

In journalistic style, explanatory nouns are often used as if they were titles (false or pseudo-titles):

Hairdresser Caroline Johnson;
35-year-old department store heir Silvia Wilson.

False titles were popularized by Time magazine and are now a common occurrence in journalism. Writing footballer Matthew White, not Matthew White, the / a footballer has two advantages: it saves space, and it frees users from the subtle distinction between the footballer (for the famous) and a footballer (for the obscure).

The false title is useful to journalists, but does not apply to normal writing.

If it is necessary to use this, then the name should not be too long; it should not be written in capital letters, as if it were a real title; and it should not be separated by commas. However, in journalism, a comma can be used if the appositive noun is very long.

Articles with geographical names

Articles with geographical names have many exceptions. It is best to consider them in separate categories. It is worth noting that all of the following applies to the use of names in speech: for cartography, the accepted norm is the absence of articles in all cases.

Articles with names of countries, continents, states, cities and villages + exceptions

With the names of countries, in most cases, the zero article is used:

— “Now, when we’re back to Australia, would you like to visit my family with me?” "Now that we're back in Australia, would you like to come with me to my parents?"

However, with countries that have a plural in their name, only the is used:

— “Can’t we just lie down somewhere in the Netherlands instead?” "Can't we just lie down somewhere in the Netherlands instead?"

But even in this case there are a few exceptions. For example:

The Vatican
The Congo

With the names of countries and states

For a kingdom (“Kingdom”), a republic (“Republic”), a federation (“Federation”), a union (“Union”), or any other form of government whose name is included in the name of a state, use the.

This can be justified as follows: in such a construction, it is the aforementioned word that will be the one to which the article is attached, and, therefore, the basic rules for the use of articles with common nouns will apply to it. For instance:

— Does ‘the Russian Federation’ should be with a definite article or without it? “Does “The Russian Federation” need to be written with or without the definite article?”

However, if the same state has an alternative name that does not contain one of the words listed above, then the will not be used with it:

— “Does ‘Russia ’ should be with a definite article or without it?” – Should “Russia” be written with or without the definite article?

Another important addition: when writing the name of the country using the abbreviation, the same article is preserved as when writing the full version:

— “Does ‘the RF’ should be with a definite article or without it?” “Does “The RF” need to be written with or without the definite article?”

with continents

With the names of continents, it is most often used with the zero article:

— “Writing South America with a definite article or the Americas without it will be a mistake in both cases.” – “Writing “South America” with the definite article or “America” without it would be a mistake in both cases.

There are three exceptions:

The Arctic - the Arctic;
The Antarctic - Antarctica;
The Americas - Americas, the common name for all the American continents;

For the names of cities, states and villages, in general cases, they are also used without the article.

However, if any of the above is written using the construction the country/continent/state/city/town/village/ect. of , then the definite article the will be needed.

Use of the article the with geographic regions

Articles with geographical names can be anything, but the article the is most often found among them.

The article the is used with most geographical names of regions:

— “Seems like you have forgotten that the Far East has other timezones than we do.” “You seem to have forgotten that the time zones in the Far East are not the same as ours.”

But if the situation with geographical units is clear enough, the use of the article with the names of administrative units within one country, such as regions, regions, lands, territories, districts and others (excluding the republics and states mentioned above) is a moot point.

Most often they do this: if the word was transliterated (like oblast or kray), then the zero article is used. This form is often used when the English word cannot convey semantic subtleties: for example, the word region, which is the officially accepted translation of the words "region" and "region", can remove the difference between these two terms and change the meaning of the phrase.

If the word in English is used, then it is permissible to put the. For example:

— The Moscow region and Moscow region are not the same place. - The Moscow region [Moscow region] and the Moscow region are not the same place.

Another point of using the definite article is capes:

— “Come to the map and show us where is the Cape of Good Hope located.” “Come to the map and show us where the Cape of Good Hope is.”

But there are often exceptions:

– “Capes – for example, Cape Dezhnev – are important for geography as marks…”

The names of capes should be treated with caution and, if possible, checked each time before writing.

With the following countries, you can use the article the, and without it:

(the) Lebanon
(the) Yemen
(the) Cameroun
(the) Congo
(the) Ivory Coast
(the) Sudan
(the) Argentina
(the) Ukraine

But there is a tendency to use without the definite article.

Other geographic regions with the:

the Antarctic
the Arctic
the Caucasus
the Midlands - the central counties of England
(the) Crimea
the Middle East - Middle East
the Riviera
(the) Ruhr

Articles with the names of water bodies (oceans, seas, rivers, currents, canals, waterfalls)

The names of many water bodies have their own rules for setting articles.

The definite article is used with the names of the oceans:

— The Atlantic Ocean stretches from the north to the south. The Atlantic Ocean stretches from north to south.

Also with the names of rivers, it is customary to use the:

— The Nile played an important role in the ancient history and the formation of the early human culture and society. The Nile played an important role in ancient history and the formation of early human culture and society.

With the names of most seas, the is used:

— Although the Caspian Sea is considered a lake now, it’s still rich in oil. - Even though the Caspian Sea is now considered a lake, it is still rich in oil.

In addition, the definite article is used with the names of channels, currents, straits and waterfalls:

- Not everyone knows the name of the Angel Falls - the highest waterfall in the world. - Few people know the name of Angel Falls - the highest waterfall in the world.

Lakes are an exception. In normal situations, the is also used with them, but sometimes if the name begins with the word Lake with a capital letter, the article may not be used:

Lake Baikal is written this way. “Lake Baikal is spelled like this.

But there is an exception. Note:

the Great Salt Lake, the Lake of Geneva (Lake Geneva).

The same the is used with the names of groups of lakes:

On which economical region of Russia is the Seliger located? – On the territory of what economic region of Russia is Seliger located?

Another type of water bodies - bays - is the most controversial of all. To determine the need for an article before the name of the bay, the preposition of in the name can help. If it is, then you need to put the before the bay, if not, then you don’t need it:

— The postcard was showing a beautiful picture of San Francisco Bay on the sunset. The postcard showed a beautiful photo of San Francisco Bay at sunset.

the Bay of Biscay, the Chesapeake Bay.

Desert names

Deserts are usually named using the definite article and the word Desert, capitalized after the name:

- The Danakil Desert in the Ethiopia belongs to the rare type of salt deserts. – The Danakil Desert in Ethiopia belongs to a rare type of salt desert.

The situation is similar with the names of plateaus, plains and valleys. In this case, the words Plain and Valley are used:

— The events of the second storyline take place in the new research telescope located in the place called the Starlight Valley far away from the modern urbanized world and tell the story of two scientists… — The events of the second storyline take place in the new research telescope located in a place called the Valley of Starlight, far from the modern urbanized world, and tells the story of two scientists…

Exceptions are the names of some valleys: for example, Death Valley and Yosemite Valley (Death Valley and Yosemite Valley, respectively).

Names of individual mountains and islands

Another item on the list of geographical proper names is mountains and islands.

The zero article is usually used with the names of individual islands:

Why does Greenland have such a strange name? Why does Greenland have such a strange name?

However, with groups of islands and archipelagos, the article the is required:

— The Mariana Islands are a part of Micronesia, which is a part of Oceania. – The Mariana Islands are part of Micronesia, which is part of Oceania.

When writing the names of mountain ranges and massifs, the definite article is also used:

— The Caucasus is a name for both a mountain chain and a region. - The Caucasus is the name of both a mountain range and a region.

Similarly, with the names of the hills.

But the names of separate mountains do not require any articles:

- Elysium Mons isn't known widely, but it's one on the highest mountains. - Mount Elysium is not widely known, but it is one of the highest mountains.

As well as the names of individual volcanoes:

The eruption of Mount Etna was filmed. The eruption of Mount Etna was filmed.

Please note that interference may occur in the names of volcanoes and mountains. The same object can be called both a volcano and a mountain, but the word will be framed differently.

It is also worth mentioning the peculiarities of writing the names of the peninsulas. Unlike islands, they require the:

It must be quite cold now on the Taimyr peninsula. – It must be quite cold on the Taimyr Peninsula now.

Articles with names of streets, roads and squares

From cases where the definite article is used with geographical names, it is logical to move on to buildings erected by human hands. They will be discussed below.

Used with road names:

- Low Lane will lead you from here to the post office you need. “Low lane will lead you from here to the post office you need.

Motorways and highways

On the other hand, motorways and highways are used only with the definite article:

— The Outer Highway is going away from the city center straight to the most high-paid office district. “The outer highway leads from the city center straight to the highest paying office district.

The zero article is used with street names:

— There is a street called “Mira Street” in an almost every city or a town. – There is a street called “Street of the World” in almost every metropolis or small town.

There are a few exceptions: (the) High Street (in any town), the Mall and the Strand (in London), the Great north Road, (the) Edgware Road, (the) Old Kent Road.

with squares

As well as with the names of the areas:

— It’s not even a question if Red Square should be written with an article or without it if you’re any good with English grammar. - It's not even a question of whether you need to write Red Square with or without an article if you are somehow versed in English grammar.

— Do you know if Trafalgar Square is written with an article or without it? – Do you know if Trafalgar Square should be written with or without an article?

Unique buildings, on the other hand, require the:

“I came here to see not you, but the Hermitage!” “I came here to look not at you, but at the Hermitage!

Names of hotels, restaurants, pubs are used with the definite article

Together with them in this category are cafes, restaurants, shops and other similar establishments:

— The Sunflower cafe is a great one and it's just five minutes walking from here! “Sunflower Cafe is great, and it’s only a five-minute walk from here!”

As well as hotels:

— The “Hospitality” hotel isn’t very comfortable, but it’s that type of small hotels where you can go when you have nowhere else to go in the town. – The Hospitality Hotel is not very convenient, but this is the type of small hotel where you can go when you have nowhere else to go in this city.

Stations and airports

Returning to the topic of transport, all stations, airports, ports and other places of departure, as well as airlines, do not have an article in front of their name:

— You can either call it “Victory airlines” or “Pobeda airlines” on English.” “You can speak English for both Victory airlines and Pobeda airlines.

Banks, pubs, restaurants and hotels named after someone in (ending in -s, ‘s) are used without an article.

For example,

— Luigi's
— Harrods
— Macdonald's

Palaces, castles, churches, as well as many other religious and historical buildings, in general, have a zero article in front of the name.

The use of articles with the name of institutions and organizations

But there are other uses of the article the and others with proper names. Organizations, as a phenomenon more abstract than buildings, have many sub-items and special cases of using different articles.

With the names of organizations, enterprises, foundations and other similar institutions, the definite the is used:

— The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced a briefing. - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced a briefing.

However, when using an abbreviation from the name of the organization, the article is replaced by zero:

NASA announced a briefing. - NASA announced a briefing.

But: the BBC, the FBI, the EU, the United Nations (the UN).

The names of political parties also need the definite article:

— The Democratic Party is the name for a particular party, although democratic parties exist in almost every country where a party can exist. - The Democratic Party is the name of a particular party, although there are democratic parties in almost every country where a party can exist at all.

Political institutions, like parties, are used with the article the.

The names of historical epochs as one-of-a-kind phenomena require the:

“Was this invented during the Renaissance or the Enlightenment?” “Was it invented during the Renaissance or the Enlightenment?”

Articles with months and days of the week in English

In a complex one, it is easy to get confused in auxiliary particles - articles and prepositions. Some of the rules regarding articles are also relevant in this case.

The days of the week generally do not require any article, as do the months. The names of the holidays, contrary to the obvious assumption, are also used only with the zero article.

However, as an exception, in order to intentionally emphasize that we are talking about an abstract day, with the above, you can use:

— Who arrange a meeting on a Saturday? Who makes the appointment on Saturday?

Conversely, when you need to focus on the specificity of a day or event, it is acceptable to use the:

— The best July of my entire life. The best July of my life.

Ships and boats

It has a definite article in front of it.

— The Titanic is such a legendary ship that it requires a definite article before the name of it. The Titanic is such a legendary ship that it requires a definite article before its name.

The names of small boats are not written with an article:

What do you call your yacht? – Simply Ambush. – Why not The Ambush? I don't know. Because it's small.

Spacecraft names are used without the article: Discovery, Apollo.

Schools, colleges and universities

The names of any educational institutions are used without the article:

— My room’s windows overlook Number 43 School along with a bunch of other apartment buildings. - The windows of my room overlook the school number 43, along with several apartment buildings.

Names of sports events

Another case of using the definite article is large public events:

— Do you remember where will the next Olympic Games be held? - Do you remember where the next Olympic Games will be held?

the World Cup;
the British Open;
the Cup Final.

Magazines and journals

Newspapers and magazines are a special item in the use of articles. By default, no auxiliary parts of speech are used with them, but often the word “the” is included in the title of the publication itself and is capitalized: The Times, The Guardian, The Sun, The Economist, The One; Today, Forbes, Daily Express, Tribune, National Geographic.

A similar rule applies to the names of musical groups, groups and bands: The Doors, The Revolution, The Exploited; Ramones.

In the cases listed above, foreign names are never used with English articles and, if available, retain the article of their own language: Le Monde.

the Whitehall (a theater) - Whitehall (a street).

Article Summary

Multiple words are often included in the names of buildings and places. This is a complex case that has many separate sub-clauses:

A place named after someone or something will be named without the article.

2. However, in this case, you need to be very careful: many names that are written with a capital letter do not actually have a proper name in their basis. The is used with them.

3. If such a name is expressed with the possessive ending -'s, the article is also not used.

4. Often the preposition of in the title can also indicate the need for a definite article.