South America with or without the article. Use of the definite article with geographical names

Lesson 9

In this lesson, we will consider the use of the article with proper names. As you remember, in English language two articles: 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 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.

This lesson provides information about the classic use of the article.

Topic 1. Repetition. The use of articles in geographical names

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

But, there are exceptions:

1. 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 required to use definite article context.

   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.

1. 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.

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 names in plural 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, Kiev 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.

1. ___ Bermuda Triangle 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 considerable part of ___ Virgin Islands archipelago; the remaining islands make up ___ US Virgin Islands and ___ Spanish Virgin Islands.
5. ___ Borneo is situated 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 Field.
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.

Articles are of particular difficulty for English learners, because they are absent in the Russian language. In English they say Additional information about the noun before which they stand. One of my teachers said that for the English a noun without an article is the same as “naked”. This is such a funny comparison. So it's always better to put article(there are only two of them: a - uncertain , the — certain) than not to put at all. If you do not put the article, always be ready to explain “why?”. So let's start with the article THE.

Part 1. Theory. The article the with geographical names/ Grammar Point: THE with geographical names

1.1 . Article the NOT used

Rule 1 Before titles countries and continents

Exceptions:

the RF (the Russian Federation)
the UK (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
the USA (the United States of America)
the Netherlands - the Netherlands (Holland is the unofficial name of this country)
the Irish Republic
the Chech Republic
the Philippines
the United Arab Emirates,

Rule 1.1. (optional) WITHOUT article the The following geographical names are used:

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

Exceptions: the Crimea (Crimea), the Far East, the Middle East, the Midland s, the Highland s, the Lowlands (collective function of the article the, see ending -s at the end)

Rule 2 With titles cities article the NOT used

Exception: the Hague

Remember: The Hague is in the Netherlands

1.2. Article the used:

Rule 3. Before titles cardinal directions(because they are the only ones in the world)

the East, the West, the South, the North

Rule 4. Before denoting nouns type of geographical landscape

The seaside - coast
The coast
The country - countryside, village
The countryside - countryside
The forest
The wood(s)
The mountains
The jungle

Rule 5. Before names of water spaces: oceans, seas, rivers, canals, straits, lakes, except bays.

The Atlantic Ocean - Atlantic Ocean
The Red Sea
The Volga - Volga (river)
The Panama Canal - Panama Canal
The English Channel - English Channel
The Gulf Stream
The Baikal (the Baikal Lake) - Baikal (lake)

But Lake Baikal, Lake Seliger

Exceptions: bay names

Hudson Bay - Hudson Bay

Rule 6. Before titles mountain ranges and archipelagos of islands(collective function of the article the, see ending -s at the end)

the Urals, the Caucasus, the Rocky Mountains, the British Isles, the Kurilas

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

Rule 7. Before titles deserts: the Gobi, the Sahara, the Kara-Kum, the Kalahari

Part 2. Practice the Basic Use of the with geographical names

1. Check yourself. Are you good at using the article “the”?

The (+,-)	Geographical name	your example
	continents
	countries
	countries -exceptions (4)
	cities
	oceans and seas
	rivers
	lakes
	mountain ranges/chains
	single mountains
	groups of islands
	single islands
	deserts

2. Complete the text with 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.

3. Translate the geographical names from #2.

Red Square, the Volga River or the USSR - do we need articles in English when we talk about geographical names? There are some rules for countries, others for streets and squares, and third rules for rivers and seas. Moreover, for each of the categories there are a number of exceptions when the rules do not apply. Articles are used or not used with geographical names simply because "it happened". Let's try to figure it out.

Countries

The article is needed only in two cases - firstly, if the name of the country has what is called the “form state structure» - union, kingdom, states, republic and so on. Therefore, there is a definite article in the names of such states, as the United States of America, the United Kingdom(the article remains in abbreviations - the USA, the UK). For lovers of exotic and skyscrapers - add here the UAE – the United Arab Emirates, and for those who remember the Olympics-80 and Berlin Wall – the USSR, the GDR. For modern Russia, everything is simple - Russia(without article) or the Russian federation(with an article, since federation is a form of government).

I'm back in the USSR. You don't know how lucky you are, boys. I am returning to the USSR. Guys, you yourself do not know how happy you are here (full of irony song Beatles).

The second case when an article is needed with countries is when the name of the country is a plural noun. Usually these are islands lost in the middle of the ocean - for example, the Philippines(Philippines) or the Bahamas(Bahamas). There is also a non-island state, in the name of which there is a plural - the Netherlands, Netherlands.

An exception that is unlikely to be useful in life is a small African country The Gambia(Gambia), she is perhaps the only one who is written with the article “just like that”.

An interesting situation has developed with Ukraine - Ukraine or The Ukraine? Until 1991, Ukraine was part of the USSR, in which case other grammatical rules apply - and until 1991, indeed, the form The Ukraine. And since 1991, Ukraine, having become an independent state, is officially written without the article - Ukraine.

Cities

Indefinite article with common nouns

So, once again, the indefinite article a/an is only used before singular countable nouns. This must be remembered.

Common names- these are nouns denoting the name (common name) of a whole class of objects and phenomena that have a certain common set of features, and naming objects or phenomena according to their belonging to such a class. Common nouns are signs of linguistic concepts and are opposed proper names. The transition of common nouns to proper names is accompanied by the loss of a linguistic concept by the name (for example, "Gum" from "gum" - "right"). Common nouns are concrete (table), abstract or abstract (love), real or material (sugar), and collective (students).

There are several cases of using the indefinite article with common nouns. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

1. If the noun is mentioned for the first time, then after the turnover there is / was / will be, as well as after the constructions this is and have got, the indefinite article a / an is used:

There was a big garden behind the house.

I got a car.

2. In the meaning of any, anyone, everyone:

A pupil must do homework.

A car is a comfortable means of transport.

3. When designating a profession or when describing characteristic properties:

My mother is a doctor.

She is a kind person.

It's a nice film.

4. In exclamatory sentences after what, such:

What a nice day!

He is such a clever boy!

5. In the meaning of one:

I'll be back in an hour.

I work eight hours a day.

6. In a number of set expressions denoting single actions:

to make a mistake - make a mistake

to take a seat - sit down

to give smb a lift

to go for a walk - go for a walk

to catch a cold - catch a cold

to give a look - look

to have a rest - relax

Definite article with place names

There are several cases of using the definite article with geographical names.

The article is not used:

in the names of parts of the world and continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North (South) America

with region names: Latin America, Northern Africa, South-East Asia

in country names: Great Britain, England, Russia

in city names: London, Moscow, Paris

in the names of some lakes, if the word Lake is used: Lake Seliger, Lake Baikal

in the names of mountain peaks and some islands: Everest, Elbrus, Cyprus, Cuba

The definite article is used:

in the names of the following regions: the Far East, the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Ruhr, the Tyrol, the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Crimea, the Lake District

in official country names. in the presence of the words federation, republic, union, state, kingdom: the Russian Federation, the German Republic, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

in plural country names: the Netherlands, the Philippines

in the names of rivers, seas, oceans, straits, lakes, canals, waterfalls: the Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea, the Thames, the English Channel, the Gulf Stream, the Suez Canal, the Niagara Falls

in the names of deserts, mountain ranges and groups of islands: the Sahara Desert, the Pamir, the Urals, the Hawaii, the Bermudas

Exceptions:

the definite article is used in the names of some countries: the Vatican, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Congo, the Lebanon, the Hague.

Articles with names, surnames, titles

The article is not used if:

the noun is preceded by a word denoting the person's first or last name: Tom Sawyer, Mr Brown, old John, little Tommy;

before the name there is an appeal, title, profession: Miss Marple, Professor Higgins, Doctor Watson, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Lord Byron, Admiral Nelson.

The article the is used when:

we are talking about all family members: The Browns, the Smiths.

The Browns will visit us next week.

it is used in the same sense:

Is this man the Poirit?

The article a is used when:

This is about one of the family members.

He is a true Rockefeller.

it is used to mean something:

There is a Mr Brown waiting for you.

the name denotes a work or award:

He has got a Renoir in his collection.

This film won an Oscar.

The use of articles with geographical names

The use of articles with geographical names is only part of the topic "Articles with proper names". With geographical names, we use either the definite article or the absence of the article as such. In order to clearly understand in which options the article should be put in English, and in which not, it is necessary to divide all cases into two large groups and see examples of how to act in a given situation. I dare say that you will have to memorize the examples in order to correctly use this or that word at the right time. One small nuance - geographical maps names are usually given without articles.

The definite article is used with geographical names that mean:

Cardinal points:

the North

the South

the East

the West (West)

But keep in mind that if you are indicating a direction, the definite article with the geographical name is not needed.

Poles, hemispheres (poles, hemispheres):

the North Pole

the South Pole (South Pole)

the Western Hemisphere (Western Hemisphere)

the Eastern Hemisphere (eastern hemisphere)

the Arctic

the Antarctic (Antarctic)

Regions (regions):

the Far East (Far East)

the north of Canada (north of Canada)

the Middle East (Middle East)

the Highlands (northwest of Scotland)

the south of England (south of England)

the Crimea (Crimea)

the Caucasus (Caucasus)

Countries whose names are plural nouns (countries):

the Philippines

the Netherlands

the Unites States of America (USA)

the Baltic States

Countries whose names contain the words - kingdom (kingdom), republic (republic), union (union), federation (federation):

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

the Kingdom of Denmark

the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates)

the Republic of Cuba (Republic of Cuba)

the German Federal Republic (German Federal Republic)

the Russian Federation (Russian Federation)

the Czech Republic (Czech Republic)

the People's Republic of China (Chinese People's Republic)

Oceans (oceans), straits (straits), seas (seas), rivers (rivers), channels (canals / channels), waterfalls (waterfalls), currents (currents):

the Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)

the Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)

the Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean)

the Black Sea

the Dead Sea

the Red Sea

the Thames (Thames)

the Volga

the Don (Don)

the Suez Canal

the Victoria Falls

the Niagara Falls

the Strait of Magellan (Strait of Magellan)

the Bosporus (Bosporus)

the Bering Strait (Bering Strait)

the English Channel (English Channel)

the Panama Canal (Panama Canal)

the Strait of Dover (Strait of Dover / Pas de Calais)

the Strait of Gibraltar (Strait of Gibraltar)

the Amazon (Amazon)

the Nile

the Gulf Stream

the Sea of ​​Japan

Peninsulas (peninsulas), capes (capes):

the Indochinese Peninsula (Indochina Peninsula)

the Balkan Peninsula (Balkan Peninsula)

the Iberian Peninsula (Iberian Peninsula)

the Cape of Good Hope Good Hope)

Cape Horn

Cape Chelyuskin (Cape Chelyuskin)

Groups of lakes:

the Great Lakes (Great Lakes)

the Seliger (Seliger)

the Great Salt Lake (Great Salt Lake)

But

if the word is used next to the name of the lakelakeThe definite article with the geographical name is not needed here:

Lake Baikal (Lake Baikal)

Lake Ontario (Lake Ontario)

Lake Geneva

Island groups (groups of islands):

the Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands)

the Canaries

the British Isles (British Isles)

the Bahamas (Bahamas)

the Azores (Azores)

the Falkland Islands (Falkland Islands)

Mountain ranges (chains of mountains), hills (hills):

the Black Hills

the Apennines (Apennines)

the Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains)

the Andes

the Urals (Ural Mountains)

the Alps

the Himalayas (Himalayas)

But: Capitol Hill (Capitol Hill)

Plains (plains), valleys (valleys), deserts (deserts):

the Great Plains (Great Plains Plateau)

the Mississippi Valley (Mississippi Valley)

the Sahara Desert

the Kara-Kum (desert of the Karakum)

the Kalahari Desert (Kalahari)

the Arabian Desert (Arabian Desert)

Exceptions:

Death Valley (Death Valley)

Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley)

Bays (gulfs / bays). The definite article is used in constructions with the preposition of. If it is absent, the article is not needed:

the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of Mexico)

the Gulf of Finland (Gulf of Finland)

the Gulf of Aden (Gulf of Aden)

the Bay of Bengal

Persian Gulf (Persian Gulf)

Hudson Bay (Hudson Bay)

San Francisco Bay (San Francisco Bay)

These are just some of the geographical names that are used with the definite article in English. And here is a small list of the same names that do not require the presence of an article.

The following are used without the article:

Names of continents (continents):

Europe (Europe)

Africa (Africa)

South America (South America)

North America (North America)

Australia

Countries whose names are singular nouns, cities (cities), villages (villages), states (states), provinces (provinces):

Ukraine (Ukraine)

France

Spain

California (California)

London

Beijing

Balabino (Balabino)

Florida (Florida)

Quebec (Quebec)

Exceptions:

the Hague (The Hague)

the Vatican

the Congo (Congo)

And also when using the "the city of" construction:

the City of Moscow (city of Moscow)

the City of Rome (city of Rome)

Names of individual islands (islands), mountains (mountains), volcanoes (volcanoes):

Greenland (Greenland)

Cyprus (Cyprus)

Madagascar (Madagascar)

Jamaica (Jamaica)

Vesuvius (Vesuvius)

Mount Goverla (Goverla)

Elbrus (Elbrus)

Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro)

Volcano Etna (Volcano Etna)

Fujiyama

Pay attention to this point: if a geographical name has an individualizing or descriptive definition, then this name will be used with a definite or indefinite article, respectively. For example:

This isn't the Moscow I used to love. – This is not the Moscow that I once loved.

There will always be an England for me. “There will always be England for me.