Some general principles
- If a place name consists of an actual name, especially just one word, it usually takes no article:
Europe, France, Normandy, Paris, Montmartre
- If a place name includes a unit of political organisation (republic, kingdom, states etc), it usually takes the:
The United Kingdom, The Czech Republic, The United States
- If a place name includes a geographical or other descriptive feature (islands, sea, river etc), it usually takes the:
The Baltic Sea, The River Seine, The Kalahari Desert
- This is also the case when this feature is only implied:
The Phillipines (= The Phillipine Islands)
The Himalayas (= the Himalaya Mountains) - But this is not the case when the name consists of the singular word land:
Scotland, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Poland
- If a place name includes of, it takes the definite article:
The Straits of Gibraltar, The Bay of Biscay, The Isle of Man
The Museum of Modern Art - Note that we can often call places two ways, one without of and without the article, and one with of (usually more formal):
Poland / The Republic of Poland, Edinburgh University / The University of Edinburgh, Capri / The Isle of Capri
- When the first word of a place name is an adjective (as with most seas), we usually use the:
The Mediterranean (Sea), The Arabian Gulf (but there are exceptions, eg. Central Park)
- When a place name starts with a possessive, it usually takes no article:
St Paul's Cathedral, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Hudson's Bay
- When a place name starts with the name of the place where it is situated, it doesn't usually take an article:
Morecombe Bay, London Bridge
- Finally, note that there are lots of exceptions, and that some place names, especially buildings, schools are best learned individually.
| Continents, countries, regions, cities etc. | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| Geographical areas | Latin America | The Arctic, The Balkans |
| Points of the compass | Northern England | The East of England |
| Continents | Africa, Asia, Europe | (or) The Antarctic |
| Countries | Most countries, especially those with one word names France Countries ending in 'land' Scotland | Names which include organisational elements - kingdom, republic etc The United Kingdom Groups of islands The Phillipines A few others The Netherlands (1) |
| Regions, provinces, states, counties etc | Most regions etc Patagonia, Normandy | Some exceptions The Algarve (3) |
| Cities, towns | Most cities and towns London, Paris, Berlin | A few exceptions The Hague (4) |
| Geographical features - seas, rivers, mountains etc | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| Oceans, seas, rivers | All oceans, seas and rivers The Atlantic (Ocean) | |
| Channels, straits, canals | Mostly take 'the' The English Channel | |
| Bays, gulfs and capes | Preceded or followed by a noun - most bays and almost all capes Morecombe Bay | With 'of' - almost all gulfs The Bay of Biscay With a national adjective The Persian Gulf |
| Islands | Most single islands Tasmania sometimes there's a choice Skye | With 'isle of' the Isle of Wight the Isle of Skye Groups of islands The British Isles |
| Lakes | Most single lakes Lake Windermere | Groups of lakes The Great Lakes |
| Mountains and hills | Most single mountains (Mount) Everest | A few exceptions The Jungfrau (6) Mountain and hill ranges The Alps |
| Deserts | All deserts The Sahara (Desert) | |
| Forests | Simple names Sherwood Forest | With 'of' and adjectives The Forest of Dean |
| Streets, parks, buildings etc. | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| Streets etc | Most streets etc Oxford Street | A few exceptions The Strand (in London) (8) |
| Roads etc See note below | London Road | The London Road |
| Squares | Most squares, circuses etc Trafalgar Square | Sometimes when attached to something The Cathedral Square |
| Parks and gardens | Simple names Hyde Park | Descriptive The Botanical Gardens |
| National Parks - no apparent rules | Lake District National Park | The Peak District National Park |
| Palaces, castles etc | Most palaces and castles Buckingham Palace | Some exceptions The White House |
A note on street names in BritainAs well as Street, Avenue and Road, you might see any of the following:
Gardens, Park You might also see combinations: Park Gardens, Circus Gardens, Bank Lane The High StreetThe main street in a British town or London Borough is often simply called the High Street, or is preceded by the place name (without 'the'), eg. Kensington High Street. For this reason, the main chains of shops and banks that are found in main streets throughout the country are known as high street shops and high street banks
(The) London RoadThe main road leading out of a town often has the name of the town or city that it (eventually) leads to, especially London. In some places, this is called, for example, London Road,in others The London Road.
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| Institutions | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| In general | Which one isn't important or is obvious She's gone to church She wants to go to university | A specific place The local parish church |
| Cathedrals and churches | Most churches Canturbury Cathedral | |
| Schools | Most schools Colyton Grammar School | Some exceptions The Rochester Grammar School |
| Universities (UK) We can often refer to the same university in two different ways | With a simple name Edinburgh University | more formally with 'of' The University of Edinburgh |
| Universities (US) Universities have unique names, some with 'the', some without | Washington University in St Louis | The University of Washington |
| Hospitals | Guy's Hospital as a patientHe's in hospital | The Royal Infirmary As a visitor or as a professionalShe's gone to the hospital to visit her aunt |
| Places of entertainment | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| In general, as a place | We're going to the cinema | |
| Theatres and opera houses | Names with possessives Sadler's Wells (Theatre) Simple place names Glyndebourne (Theatre) | Most theatres etc The Aldwych (Theatre) |
| Note - Some famous theatres are known both by their place names, and by their official name | Covent Garden | = The Royal Opera House |
| Cinemas | The Odeon (cinema) | |
| Concert Halls - vary | Carnegie Hall | The Albert Hall |
| Museums and galleries | Some exceptions Tate Modern | Most museums etc The Tate Gallery |
| Hotels | Most hotels The Ritz | |
| Pubs and restaurants - vary | Scott's Bar | The Black Swan |
| Other | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| Stations | Most stations Euston Station | |
| Airports | Most airports Heathrow | A few exceptions |
| Bridges | Most London bridges London Bridge | Others (The) Golden Gate Bridge |
| Miscellaneous notes | ||
| Zero article | The | |
| Compare simple names with names with 'of', or with the type of organisation, which tend to be more official or formal | Simple names Poland Russia | All names with 'of' The Republic of Poland The Russian Federation |
| A few names only exist in the 'of' version or with 'republic' etc | The Isle of Man The Czech Republic | |
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Notes
1. The Netherlands - literally means 'the low lands' 2. The Gambia - called after the River Gambia 3. The Algarve - from Arabic, meaning 'the West' 4. The Hague - from Dutch, meaning 'The Hedge' 5. The City of London - the old part of London, now the financial centre 6. The Jungfrau - German for 'the young woman' 7. The Matterhorn - German for 'Meadow peak' 8. The Strand - a street in London called after a small river 9. The Mall - a street in London. A mall is a sort of esplanade for walking along 10. The High Street - if there is no town name, it usually takes the | ||
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Some groups of islands, mountains and hills are often referred to with a shorter plural version of their name
The Orkneys - The Orkney Islands | ||
Related posts
- The or zero article - Place names article quiz
- Indefinite articles - a or an?
- Random quizzes - articles - a few texts to test your skills at using articles
Why is the name of a person used with the definite article?
ReplyDeletethe Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
the Merry Riana show.
Also, why is an adjective used with the definite article?
In the name of Allah (God), the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Because it's not just any stand or show, but the specific stand that's named after that person, or the specific show that stars, or is hosted by that person. Or sometimes it might be about a character with that name. But you could probably find exceptions.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally if the name is that of the owner or original owner, then you might find the apostrophe s being used: Billy Smart's Circus, Lord's cricket ground. And sometimes we use an apostrophe s for things called after people as well: Nelson's Column, for example.
As for adjectives, I think we are imagining a missing word:
Allah, the Compassionate (One), the Merciful (One). i.e. the One who is compassionate.
The poor (people), the unemployed (people), etc.
Thank you. I'm wondering why the "one" is omitted? Or maybe If we want to describe the traits of Allah (God), we don't need it?
ReplyDeleteAlso, in the sentence below, why isn't the definite article used with "All-Forgiving and All-Merciful"? Since this use is like above. Does the writer treat them as a predicative?
Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Usually job titles such as director, chairman, etc can be dropped in a sentence. Yet in the above the noun isn't, but they are both adjectives.
I would suggest that 'one' is missed out because it is unnecessary, everyone understands. As for the rest, I'd rather use non-religious examples, if you don't mind. Religious texts have their own ways of dealing with these things.
ReplyDeleteSo we can have 'Suleiman the Magnificent', or Suleiman is magnificent' . In the first (where there's no verb), 'the Magnificent' is a noun being used as an epithet, and the whole thing is a sort of description. In the second, as you say, it's simply an adjective describing a characteristiic (or trait) of the person.
There are hundreds of examples of the first, William the Conqueror and Catherine the Great, to name but two. It's simply the traditional way we do it in English. Compare the French and English names for Richard I of England - Richard Cœur de Lion (no 'le'), Richard the Lionheart.
Incidentally shops often take names like this: Greggs the bakers, Boots the chemists, and as so many people in Wales are called Jones, their occupation or other epithet was often added to their name: Jones the driver, Jones the teacher etc.
Yes, use an non religious example. This would probably be the reason the writer says "the Compassionate" without "one" is that "God" is the preceding sentence, so it is understood by that. If just saying"the Compassionate" on its own, it could mean "the Compassionate (people)" just like the poor, the good. Am my understanding right? For example.
ReplyDeleteI am Oz, the Powerful and the Great. And Dorothy replies, I am Dorothy, The Small and Meek.
Incidentally, this to me is not the same as " Catherine the Great" or other epithets. It's not God the Compassionate or God the Merciful, but it's God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. There is a comma here probably making the difference. So, what do you think?
OK, yes, the comma makes a difference. It's a bit like saying I am Dorothy, who is small and meek. But as I said, this is out of my territory, which is English, not the Koran.
ReplyDelete