Most place names take no article, but some groups of names always take the. This unit sets out which is which: countries, plural names, seas and rivers, places in towns, and names with of.
A Continents, countries, states, islands, towns
Most names of places have no the. We say Spain, not the Spain.
The exception is a name containing republic, states or kingdom. These words describe a kind of country, so they take the:
| no the | the |
|---|---|
| Spain, Wales, Texas | the Czech Republic |
| Glasgow, Lima | the United States (the USA) |
| Jersey, Asia | the United Kingdom (the UK) |
- Spain is famous for its beaches.
- Lima is the capital of Peru.
- Jersey is a small island near France.
- Kenya is in Africa.
- My uncle lives in the United States.
- Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic.
B Plural names: the -s
Use the with plural names of countries, groups of islands and mountain ranges. If the name ends in a plural -s, it almost always wants the.
the Netherlands, the Seychelles, the Hebrides, the Pennines, the Himalayas
- Amsterdam is in the Netherlands.
- We went walking in the Pennines.
- The Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world.
C Oceans, seas, rivers and canals
Use the with the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals. The word ocean, sea or river is often left out, and the the stays.
the Pacific (Ocean), the North Sea, the Thames, the (River) Severn, the Panama Canal
- The Thames flows through London.
- The ferry crosses the North Sea every night.
- The Pacific is the biggest ocean on Earth.
D Places in towns: streets, buildings and so on
Names of streets, roads and squares have no the: Church Street, Abbey Road, Parliament Square.
A name made of a place or person + airport / station / university / castle / zoo / cathedral also has no the: Manchester Airport, York Station, Leeds University, Cardiff Castle, Chester Zoo.
Hotels, restaurants, pubs, cinemas, theatres and museums usually take the:
| the |
|---|
| the Grand (Hotel), the Red Lion (a pub), the Plaza (cinema) |
| the Lyceum (theatre), the Natural History Museum |
One learns these by meeting them. There is no shortage of pubs to practise on.
- My sister works in a café on Church Street.
- Excuse me, how do I get to Abbey Road?
- Our flight leaves from Manchester Airport.
- We met outside York Station.
- Shall we have lunch at the Red Lion?
- There's a dinosaur exhibition at the Natural History Museum.
E Names with of, and the north, the south ...
Use the with names that contain of:
the Isle of Man, the Houses of Parliament, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bank of Scotland
We also say the north / the south / the east / the west / the middle (of ...).
- The Isle of Man is between England and Ireland.
- We visited the Houses of Parliament on a school trip.
- My grandparents live in the south of Wales.
- It's usually colder in the north of the country.
Exercises
73.1 Each sentence is a geography question. Choose the answer from the box. Some answers need The.
AntarcticaArcticCanberraDanubeHimalayasIcelandIndian OceanLisbonMaldivesMississippiNetherlandsNigeriaNorth SeaPolandPyrenees
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal.
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal.
The Indian Ocean is between Africa and Australia.
The Indian Ocean is between Africa and Australia.
is a country in central Europe.
Poland is a country in central Europe.
is a river in North America.
The Mississippi is a river in North America.
is the coldest continent in the world.
Antarctica is the coldest continent in the world.
is the smallest ocean.
The Arctic is the smallest ocean.
is a river that flows through Vienna.
The Danube is a river that flows through Vienna.
is a country in West Africa.
Nigeria is a country in West Africa.
is between Belgium and Germany.
The Netherlands is between Belgium and Germany.
are mountains in Asia.
The Himalayas are mountains in Asia.
is the capital of Australia.
Canberra is the capital of Australia.
are mountains between France and Spain.
The Pyrenees are mountains between France and Spain.
is between Britain and Norway.
The North Sea is between Britain and Norway.
is an island in the North Atlantic.
Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic.
are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldives are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean.
73.2 Put in the where it is needed and write the sentence again. If the sentence is already correct, write OK.
Megan works in a shop on Carlton Road.
OK
Megan works in a shop on Carlton Road.
We saw a musical at Palace Theatre.
We saw a musical at the Palace Theatre.
We saw a musical at the Palace Theatre.
Have you ever been to Brazil?
Have you ever been to Brazil?
Have you ever been to Seychelles?
Have you ever been to the Seychelles?
Have you ever been to north of Spain?
Have you ever been to the north of Spain?
Do you know where Plaza Cinema is?
Do you know where the Plaza Cinema is?
Do you know where Mill Lane is?
Do you know where Mill Lane is?
Do you know where Natural History Museum is?
Do you know where the Natural History Museum is?
Africa is bigger than Europe.
Africa is bigger than Europe.
Ireland is smaller than Philippines.
Ireland is smaller than the Philippines.
Which river is longer, Thames or Severn?
Which river is longer, the Thames or the Severn?
Did you go to British Museum when you were in London?
Did you go to the British Museum when you were in London?
"Where are you staying?" "At Grand Hotel on Station Road."
"Where are you staying?" "At the Grand Hotel on Station Road."
How far is it from Parliament Square to Waterloo Station?
How far is it from Parliament Square to Waterloo Station?
Pennines are in the north of England.
The Pennines are in the north of England.
Florida is famous for its beaches and its oranges.
Florida is famous for its beaches and its oranges.
Kiel Canal joins North Sea and Baltic Sea.
The Kiel Canal joins the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
My cousin moved to United Arab Emirates last year.
My cousin moved to the United Arab Emirates last year.
Ffion grew up on a farm in north of Wales.
Ffion grew up on a farm in the north of Wales.
Imran studied law at Leeds University.
Imran studied law at Leeds University.