Using the article the with names of countries. Articles with geographical names in English. Using the article with the names of seas, rivers, oceans

In this lesson we will look at the use of articles 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 when the article is not used.

We have already noted in the Elementary level lessons that the article performs a semantic distinguishing 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, more than other grammatical phenomena, is used “by intuition.” And to develop this intuition, you need to know the basic rules for using articles and exceptions. Only after this you will 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 used one or another article. In newspapers and other literary sources you will come across aspects of the use of articles that were not described in textbooks. And most often this will not be a mistake. It’s just that not everything is covered in textbooks.

Having solid basic knowledge, you will easily understand the nuances of using the article. In the case of geographical names and titles, it cannot be said for sure that the article is used only this way and not otherwise. Therefore, when explaining 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 names of countries and cities.

But, there are exceptions:

1. The Hague (The Hague)

   countries (for historical reasons):

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

   The Philippines (essentially the name of a group of islands)

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

   Note

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

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

   "of my youth" is the context necessary for using the definite article.

   When he returned twenty years later, he found a new America. - When he returned 20 years later, he discovered (some kind of) 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, the definite article is used with it.

1. Continent names: Africa, Europe, America. Even if these names are preceded by definitions, the article is still not used: Western Europe, Southern America.

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

   The name of island groups is always preceded by a 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 placed 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.

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

   When the name of an area contains a plural 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 names of all deserts come with a definite article: The Gobi, The Sahara (desert), The Kara-Kum.

Names of natural water reservoirs:

1. The names of all rivers are used with the definite article:

   The Volga (The river Volga), The Don, The Thames.

   The names of all lakes are used with the definite article:

   The Seliger, The Baikal.

   But, if the word Lake is present before the name, then the definite article is not used - Lake Ilmen.

   The names of all seas, oceans, canals and waterfalls are accompanied by the definite article:

   The Black Sea, The Dead Sea; The Pacific Ocean, The Indian Ocean; The Suez Canal; The Victoria Fall, The Niagara Fall.

   But the names of the bays do not have articles.

   Articles are particularly difficult for English language learners because they are absent in the Russian language. provides additional information about the noun it precedes. There are two articles in total ( a— uncertain , the - certain) and it is always better to put article, rather than not putting it at all. If you don’t put the article, always be ready to explain “why?” In this lesson we will understand, In what cases is the article the placed before geographical names?

   Rule 1. Article the Not countries and continents:

   

   Exceptions:

   1. the RF (the Russian Federation)
   2. the UK (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
   3. the USA (the United States of America)
   4. the Netherlands – The Netherlands or Holland (Holland is an unofficial name)
   5. the Irish Republic
   6. the Chechen Republic
   7. the Philippines
   8. the United Arab Emirates

   Also Article the is not used before the following geographical names:

   Europe, Eurasia, Antarctica, Central Asia, North (South) America, Latin America, South-East Asia, Northern Africa, Western (Eastern Siberia), Siberia.

   Remember: the Crimea (Crimea), the Far East (Far East), the Middle East (Middle East), the Midland s(England's Midlands), the Highland s ( Highlands, the Lowland s(Lowlands).

   Rule 2. Article the not used with names cities.

   Exception: the Hague – The Hague

   Remember: The Hague is in the Netherlands. — The Hague is located in Holland.

   Rule 3. Article the used before names cardinal directions(since they are the only ones in the world): the East (east), the West (west), the South (south), the North (north).

   Rule 4. Article the used before nouns denoting type of geographical landscape

   1. at the seaside - on the coast
   2. on the coast - on the coast
   3. in the country - out of town, in the village
   4. in the countryside - in the countryside
   5. in the forest - in the forest
   6. in the wood(s) - in the forest
   7. in the mountains - in the mountains
   8. in the jungle - in the jungle

   Rule 5. Article the used before names of water bodies: oceans, seas, rivers, canals, straits, lakes, except bays.

   1. The Atlantic Ocean - Atlantic Ocean
   2. The Red Sea – Red Sea
   3. The Volga – Volga (river)
   4. The Panama Canal – Panama Canal
   5. The English Channel – English Channel
   6. The Gulf Stream
   7. The Baikal (the Baikal Lake) – Baikal (lake), But Lake Baikal, Lake Seliger

   Exceptions - bay names: Hudson Bay

   Rule 6. Article the used before names mountain ranges and island archipelagos(collective function of the article the, see ending –s at the end)

   1. the Urals
   2. the Caucasus - Caucasus Mountains
   3. the Rocky Mountains - Rocky Mountains
   4. the British Isles - British Isles
   5. the Kurilas - Kuril Islands

   Exceptions:

   • mountain peaks: Elbrus, Everest, Ben Nevis, etc.
   • single islands: Cuba, Cyprus, Haiti, etc.

   Rule 7. Article the used before names deserts:

   1. the Gobi
   2. the Sahara
   3. the Kara-Kum
   4. the Kalahari

   The article the with geographical names. Exercises

   Exercise 1.Fill in the table with examples.
   

   Exercise 2.Insert the article the where necessary.

   British Isles are a group of _____ islands in ____ North Sea on ____ Atlantic coast of ___ Europe. ___ two largest islands are called ___ Britain and ___ Ireland. ___Ireland is divided into ___ two countries: ___ Irish Republic and ___Northern Ireland which is part of ___ United Kingdom. ___ two islands are separated by ____Irish Sea.

   Exercise 3.Write down and remember the geographical names from Exercise 2.

   British Isles, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Britain, Ireland, Irish Republic, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Irish Sea.

   
   

   With other proper names

   I The article is not used with names (all words with capital letters):

   1) streets and squares:Broadway Broadway,Wall Street Wall Street; Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square(in London), Red Square Red Square;

   2) bridges and parks: Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge; Hyde Park Hyde Park in London, Central Park Central Park in NYC;

   3) airports, seaports, railway and metro stations: London Airport London Airport; Kennedy (Airport) Kennedy airport; London Port London port;"> 4) educational institutions(universities, colleges, etc.): Columbia University Columbia University,Cambridge Cambridge,Oxford Oxford;

   5) magazines: Time Magazine, National Geograohic -magazines.

   6) exceptions(meetings sometimes): the Arbat Arbat(in Moscow), the Garden Ring Garden Ring road(in Moscow), the Via Manzoni Manzoni street(in Milan); the Gorki Park park named after M. Gorky(in Moscow), etc.

   II The definite article the used with names:

   1) structures and individual unique buildings: the Great Wall of China, the Ostankino Television Tower, the Kremlin, the Tower, the White House, the Winter Palace, the Royal Palace;

   There are many exceptions to this rule, especially if the name of the structure or building contains a proper noun (the name of a person or the name of a locality): Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, London Zoo, Edinburgh Castle, etc.

   2) theaters, cinemas, concert halls, orchestras, clubs: the Royal Opera House Royal Opera House, the Bolshoy Theater Grand Theatre;

   3) art galleries, museums, monuments: the National Gallery National Art Gallery, the Tretyakov Gallery Tretyakov Gallery; the British Museum British museum, the Hermitage Hermitage; the Washington Monument Washington Monument , the Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial;

   4) hotels, restaurants: the Metropole Hotel "Metropol", the Savoy Hotel "Savoy", the Hilton Hilton Hotel, the"Astoria" hotel "Astoria";

   5) ships, musical groups: the Titanic ship "Titanic", the"Queen Mary" ship "Queen Mary", the"Cutty Sark" clipper "Cutty Sark"; the Beatles The Beatles group;

   6) majority newspapers: the Guardian Guardian newspaper, the Times The Times newspaper, the Washington Post "Washington Post". It is not customary to use the article with newspaper names where it is not in the original language: Izvestia newspaper "Izvestiya".

   7) government agencies, organizations And political parties: the Labor Party Labor Party, the United Nations Organization United Nations, the Red Cross Red Cross, the Greens "green", the Democratic Party Democratic Party.

   Traditionally the article is not used with the word Parliament parliament(in England); NATO; may be omitted before the word ( The) Congress(in USA).

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

   The fact is that with some geographical names the definite article the is used, but with others it is not. 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 which names you should use the with. We have included general cases and rules in this material, 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 singular names 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
   Groups of lakes	Individual 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	Individual 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

   Article placement exercises

   Exercise 1.

   Interesting facts about waterspaces.

   1. ___ BermudaTriangle is located in ___ Atlantic Ocean.
   2. The longest river of the world is ___ Nile River.
   3. The lowest lake of the world is ___ Dead Sea, the deepest lake is ___ Lake Baikal, the longest lake is ___ Tanganyika.
   4. ___ Lake Superior is the largest of ___ Great Lakes.
   5. In ___ Atlantic Ocean, ___ American Mediterranean Sea is the combination of the seas of ___ Gulf of Mexico and ___ Caribbean Sea.
   6. ___ 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.

   1. 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.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. ___ 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.
   5. Next year I want to visit ____ South America and to ____ Buenos Aires in ____ Argentina.

   Exercise 3 . Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

   1. ___ Island of Madeira is historically Portuguese territory.
   2. ___ Arctic Archipelago extends from Canada to the northernmost of ___ Ellesmere Island.
   3. A journey to ___ Greenland may appear to be unbelievably interesting.
   4. ___ 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 significant part of ___ Virgin Islands archipelago; the remaining islands make up ___ US Virgin Islands and ___ Spanish Virgin Islands.
   5. ___ Borneo is located in the waters of the South China Sea

   Exercise 4. Insert the appropriate article into the sentences.

   1. ___ Death Valley is located near the border of ___California and ___Nevada, in ___ Great Basin.
   2. There are two lighthouses near or in ___ Cape Horn.
   3. ___ 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.
   4. ___ 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.

   1. ___ 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 Pole.
   2. ___East is one of the four compass points. It is the opposite of ___west and is perpendicular to___ north and ___south.
   3. We went from ___ East to ___West
   4. ___ North Pole lies diametrically opposite ___ South Pole
   5. My dwelling is in ___ South of the country.
   6. Go straight ___ north.

   So as not to miss new ones useful materials,

   By proper name ( a proper noun) can be the name of a structure, organization, institution or any other place. In this article we tried to cover as many proper names as possible and talked about the rules that they follow.

   The use of articles with proper names is a very broad topic with many exceptions. For this reason, we recommend always checking a dictionary if you come across a new name. You can also bookmark our article, because we have collected for you a large list of the most common proper names.

   • We have also written separate articles about and.

   General rules for the use of articles with proper names

   Using the article with proper nouns can be challenging for English learners, as there are many exceptions in this group of nouns. Maybe this is due to the fact that all names are unique and inimitable and articles are also uniquely and inimitably combined with them? It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. Fortunately, many names are combined into groups that follow certain patterns.

   To begin with, we suggest you familiarize yourself with some general rules applicable to proper names:

   1. If an institution is named after a famous person or the locality in which it is located, the article is not needed.
      

      He entered Stanford University. - He entered Stanford University.

      We will land at Heathrow Airport. - We will land in Heathrow airport.

      If the structure or institution is named not in anyone's honor, then you should use the.

      We visited the Winter Palace. - We visited Winter Palace. (No famous person with this name, winter is an adjective that has become part of the name)

      We visited Buckingham Palace. - We visited Buckingham Palace. (named after the Duke of Buckingham)

   2. If a store, cafe, restaurant, bank, hotel or other organization is named after someone with the ending - s or - 's, no article is used.
      

      I don’t like fast food, that’s why I don’t eat at McDonald's. – I don’t like fast food, so I don’t eat at “ McDonald's».

      This rule also applies to churches, temples, cathedrals named after saints.

      You must visit St Paul's Cathedral in London. – You just have to see St Paul's Cathedral in London.

   3. If there is a preposition in the title of, we will use the article the.
      

      The Great Wall of China is more than twenty kilometers long. - the great Wall of China more than twenty kilometers in length.

      Have you been to the Museum of Modern Art in New York? - You were in museum of modern art in NYC?

   4. Some proper names have two forms: the long formal name, which will be used with an article, and the shortened informal name, which is usually used without an article.
      

      Last week I was in the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George. = Last week I was in Manchester Cathedral. - Last week I was in Manchester Cathedral.

      I've been working in the Eastman Kodak Company for ten years. = I've been working in Kodak for ten years. - I work in Kodak company ten years.

   Proper names with the definite article

   The definite article will accompany the names:

   1. Theatres, museums, galleries, cinemas, monuments and other unique buildings and structures:
      • the Bolshoi Theater- Big theater;
      • the Coliseum Theater– Colosseum Theater;
      • the Royal Opera House– Royal Opera House;
      • the Hermitage- Hermitage Museum;
      • the Louvre– Louvre;
      • the Royal Academy of Arts– Royal Academy of Arts;
      • the National Gallery- National Gallery;
      • the British Museum- British museum;
      • the Queen Elizabeth Hall– Queen Elizabeth Concert Hall;
      • the Lincoln Memorial– Lincoln Memorial;
      • the National Film Theater– National House of Cinema;
      • the Odeon– (cinema) “Odeon”;
      • the Eiffel Tower- Eiffel Tower;
      • the Tower of London- Tower of London;
      • the Kremlin– Kremlin;
      • the Pentagon- Pentagon.
   2. Hotels, restaurants, pubs:
      • the Michelangelo Hotel– Hotel Michelangelo;
      • the King David Hotel– Hotel “King David”;
      • the Plaza Hotel– Plaza Hotel;
      • the Hilton Hotel– Hilton Hotel;
      • the Ledbury– Ledbury restaurant;
      • the Red Lion– (pub) “Red Lion”;
      • the Mayflower– (pub) “Mayflower”;
      • the White Horse Tavern- White Horse Tavern.
   3. Famous ships and trains:
      • the Titanic- "Titanic";
      • the Trans-Siberian Express– “Trans-Siberian Express” train;
      • the Oriental Express- Orient Express train.
   4. Organizations, political parties:
      • the UN (the United Nations) – UN (United Nations);
      • the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) – BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation);
      • the FBI (the Federal Bureau of Investigation) – FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation);
      • the Red Cross- Red Cross;
      • the Democratic Party– Democratic Party;
      • the Labor Party– Labor Party;
      • the Co-operative Party- Cooperative Party.

      Please note that the abbreviations of some organizations can be used as independent words. The article is not used with such proper names. However, with full names the article is needed.

      • UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) – UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization);
      • NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) – NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration);
      • NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – NATO (North Atlantic Alliance);
      • UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund) – UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund).
   5. Political institutions:
      • the House of Commons- House of Commons;
      • the Senate– Senate (USA);
      • the Supreme Court- Supreme Court;
      • the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
      • the Navy– Navy (USA).
   6. Sports events:
      • the Olympic Games- Olympic Games;
      • the World Championship– World Championship;
      • the British Grand Prix– British Grand Prix.
   7. Historical eras and events:
      • the Middle Ages– Middle Ages;
      • the Renaissance- Renaissance;
      • the Enlightenment- Age of Enlightenment;
      • the First World War- World War I.

   Proper names with zero article

   With many proper names the zero article is used. It comes with the names:

   1. Streets, parks, squares:
      • Regent Street– Regent Street;
      • Broadway– Broadway;
      • Trafalgar Square- Trafalgar Square;
      • Hyde Park- Hyde Park;
      • St James's Park– St. James's Park;
      • Red Square- Red Square.

      Pay attention to the street High Street(High Street): In modern English it can be used with or without the definite article.

   2. Dear

      The names of city roads in English are usually written without an article:

      • Park Lane– Park Lane;
      • Piccadilly– Piccadilly;
      • King's Road (Kings Road) – King Road;
      • Fifth Avenue- Fifth Avenue.

      The names of highways and freeways are usually accompanied by the definite article:

      • the Lincoln Highway– Lincoln Motorway;
      • the Jefferson Highway– Jefferson Highway;
      • the South Eastern Freeway– south-eastern highway.

      Many major roads are identified by a number and a letter. Such names in British English are often accompanied by a definite article, in American - by a zero article:

      • Br.E.: the A35 road– motorway A35;
      • Br.E.: the M5 motorway– M5 motorway;
      • Am.E.: U.S. Route 101 – Highway 101;
      • Am.E.: State road 15 – motorway 15.
   3. Schools, colleges, universities:
      • Ashford School– Ashford School;
      • Harrow School– Harrow School;
      • American Heritage School– American Heritage School;
      • Brighton College– Brighton College;
      • Eton College– Eton College;
      • Cambridge University- Cambridge university;
      • Harvard University– Harvard University.
   4. Airports, airlines, train stations, bridges:
      • Heathrow Airport– Heathrow Airport;
      • Gatwick Airport– Gatwick Airport;
      • Kennedy Airport– Kennedy Airport;
      • British Airways– airline British Airways;
      • American Airlines– airline American Airlines;
      • Aeroflot– Aeroflot;
      • Victoria Station– Victoria station;
      • King's Cross station– King's Cross station;
      • Charing Cross railway station– Charing Cross station;
      • Westminster Bridge– Westminster Bridge;
      • Tower Bridge- Tower Bridge;
      • Waterloo Bridge- Waterloo Bridge.
   5. Churches, cathedrals, temples, abbeys:
      • St Martin's Church– Church of St. Martin;
      • Canterbury Cathedral– Canterbury Cathedral;
      • Saint Sophia Cathedral- Saint Sophie Cathedral;
      • Westminster Abbey- Westminster Abbey;
      • Shrewsbury Abbey- Shrewsbury Abbey.
   6. Palaces, castles:
      • Buckingham Palace- Buckingham Palace;
      • Lambeth Palace– Lambeth Palace;
      • Richmond Palace– Richmond Palace;
      • Edinburgh Castle- Edinburgh castle;
      • Harlech Castle– Harlech Castle;
      • Windsor Castle- Windsor castle;
      • Kronborg– (castle) Kronborg.
   7. Languages:
      • English- English;
      • French- French;
      • German- German;
      • Spanish– Spanish;
      • Italian– Italian.

      If the word appears in the name of the language language(language), then the definite article should be used with the name:

      • the English language- English language;
      • the French language- French.

      Be careful: no words language, but with an article the Some names may indicate nationality:

      • the English- English;
      • the French- French people.
   8. Days of the week, months, holidays:
      • Monday- Monday;
      • Wednesday– environment;
      • Friday- Friday;
      • January- January;
      • March- March;
      • July- July;
      • December- December;
      • Christmas- Christmas;
      • Easter- Easter;
      • Independence Day- Independence Day;
      • Bastille Day– Bastille Day.

      The article is also used with days of the week and holidays the, if we are talking about a specific day:

      • the Sunday of that week- Sunday of that week;
      • the worst Christmas we've ever had– the worst Christmas we've ever had.

      If you want to show that the day is not important, use the article a (an):

      • a Tuesday– some Tuesday / any Tuesday;
      • an Independence day- one of Independence Days.

   Other cases of using the article with proper names

   It can sometimes be difficult to formulate rules for certain groups of proper names. Below we invite you to find out what these names are.

   1. Newspapers

      Most English and American newspapers have an article. But, as a rule, it is part of the name itself and is therefore written with a capital letter. Some newspaper titles do not have an article.

      I'm reading The Times. - I am reading The Times newspaper.

      I'm reading Today. - I am reading Today newspaper.

      The	Zero article
      The Times The Daily Telegraph The Guardian The Washington Post The Morning Star The Independent The Wall Street Journal The Boston Globe The Sun	Today Daily Express Newsday Chicago Tribune

      The article is not used before the names of foreign newspapers:

      • Le Monde– “Mond”;
      • Liberation– “Liberation”;
      • Pravda- "Is it true".
   2. Magazines

      Articles are rarely found in magazine titles. However, exceptions are possible here: the definite article may be part of the name.

      I read Forbes Forbes magazine.

      I read The Economist regularly. – I read regularly The Economist magazine.

      Zero article	The
      Forbes Newsweek New Musical Express National Geographic Car and Driver BBC Focus Amateur Gardening Men's Health Doctor Who Magazine	The Family Handyman The Cricketer The Economist The One

      • If you have a desire to read a British or American periodical, be sure to take a look at our school’s blog and read the articles “6 great sites with newspapers in English” and “10 cool magazines in English that you can’t tear yourself away from.”
   3. Music bands

      Group names may have the definite article as part of the name. In general, English grammar does not in any way limit the members of musical groups in choosing a name: a musician can combine words and letters as he sees fit, and contrary to all the rules. However, there are also some regularities here: the article the usually used if the name is plural, the zero article is used if the name is singular.

      • The Beatles;
      • The Rolling Stones;
      • The Doors;
      • Gorky Park;
      • ABBA;
      • Queen.

      But: Guns N' Roses, Beastie Boys, Ramones, The Revolution, The Who, Hootie & the Blowfish.

   We learned the basic rules for using articles with proper names in English. To ensure that not a single name is lost in the halls of your memory, we recommend downloading the table and taking the tests.

   (*.pdf, 240 Kb)

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   Test

   Articles with proper names in English

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