Zero article or the with place names - the basics

Some general principles and a few tables to help you with the use of zero article or the with place names.

Place names - the or zero article?

Whether to use the definite article the before place names or not can be a little confusing. Try these three quizzes first, and then read about some of the general principles involved.

Indefinite articles - a or an?

A quick quiz to test your understanding of when to use a and when to use an as the indefinite article. Do the quiz before you read the notes which follow it.

Random quiz - Articles

Practise your articles with these short texts.

Even advanced students can have problems with English articles, especially if their own language, like Polish for example, doesn't have them.

How I ngrammed an historic occasion

Or how one usage slowly dies out while another is born.

While watching a rather good documentary on Al Jazeera's YouTube channel about the historical background to the current events in Egypt, I twice heard the reporter use the expression 'an historic moment'. Or it might have been 'an historic day' or 'an historic occasion', or some such. But the reporter, who I think had an Australian accent, definitely said 'an' and I'm pretty sure he fully pronounced the 'h' both times.

• When to use a and when to use an - quiz
• Is it an historic occasion or a historic occasion - discussion
• In at the birth - to ngram as a verb