Lesson 81 · Stage 7: Nouns, articles & determiners
Names with and without the
IntermediateForm & use
Vietnam vs the USA, Mount Fansipan vs the Alps, Hang Bai Street vs the Hilton — which names take the
1.Most names have no the
Names of people, cities, most countries, continents, provinces / states, single islands, single mountains and lakes usually have no the.
| Type | No the |
|---|---|
| People, title + name | Lan, Mr Brown, Doctor Lee, Uncle Tom, President Lincoln |
| Cities, provinces, states | Hanoi, Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Texas |
| Countries, continents | Vietnam, Japan, France, Asia, Europe |
| A single island | Phu Quoc, Bali, Sicily |
| A single mountain | Mount Fansipan, Mount Fuji, Everest |
| Lakes | Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Lake Baikal |
We called the doctor. — We called Doctor Lee.
title + name → no the
Have you ever climbed Mount Fansipan?
Our hotel is near the lake. — Our hotel is near West Lake.
the name of a lake → no the
We walked around Hoan Kiem Lake after dinner.
not: the Hoan Kiem Lake
2.Names that take the
| Type | With the |
|---|---|
| Countries with Republic, Kingdom, States, Union… | the USA, the UK, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates |
| Plural names: countries, island groups, mountain ranges, families | the Philippines, the Netherlands, the Maldives, the Alps, the Himalayas, the Nguyens |
| Oceans, seas, rivers, canals, deserts | the Pacific (Ocean), the Mediterranean, the Mekong, the Red River, the Suez Canal, the Sahara |
| Regions: the + direction, geographical areas | the north (of Vietnam), the south, the Middle East, the Mekong Delta |
My cousin lives in the USA, but she was born in Canada.
The Mekong flows through six countries.
The Nguyens have just moved in next door.
the + plural surname = the whole family
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.
one mountain → no the, a range → the
Note: the north of Vietnam but northern Vietnam (no the). Names that contain a direction, like North America, South Korea, Southeast Asia, have no the either.
Quick check: if the name contains a common noun such as States, Kingdom, Republic or Islands, or the name is plural → add the. So it's the USA / the United States, but America with no the.
3.Streets, airports, universities
Most streets, squares and parks have no the. Names made of a place or person + noun (airports, stations, markets, universities, castles) usually have no the either.
Our hotel is on Hang Bai Street.
The flight lands at Noi Bai Airport at nine.
My sister studies at Hue University.
We bought some souvenirs at Ben Thanh Market.
4.Hotels, museums, names with of
Most hotels, museums, theatres, cinemas and famous buildings take the. Names with of almost always take the.
| Type | With the |
|---|---|
| Hotels | the Rex Hotel, the Hilton, the Ritz |
| Museums, galleries, theatres | the British Museum, the Louvre, the National Theatre |
| Famous buildings | the Eiffel Tower, the White House, the Golden Bridge |
| Names with of | the Temple of Literature, the University of Da Nang, the Bank of England, the Great Wall of China |
| Newspapers, organisations | the New York Times, the Guardian, the United Nations, the European Union, the BBC |
No the: shops, restaurants and banks named after a person + 's / -s (McDonald's, Joe's Café, Barclays), churches named after a saint (St Joseph's Cathedral), companies, airlines and brands (Vietnam Airlines, Samsung, Google) and abbreviations said as one word (ASEAN, NATO, UNESCO).
The same place can have two names: Hue University (place name first → no the) = the University of Hue (with of → the).
Let's meet outside the Rex Hotel.
The Temple of Literature was built in 1070.
She works for Vietnam Airlines.
a company → no the
I read about it in the Guardian.
On maps and signs the is usually left out to save space (Mekong River, Pacific Ocean). In full spoken or written sentences, put it back: We took a boat on the Mekong River.
5.Common mistakes
Vietnam is next to the Laos and Cambodia.Vietnam is next to Laos and Cambodia.
Most country names have no the.
My cousin works in USA.My cousin works in the USA.
A name with States → the.
The Mount Fansipan is very high.Mount Fansipan is very high.
Mount + name has no the.
We swam in Pacific Ocean.We swam in the Pacific Ocean.
Oceans, seas, rivers → the.
She studies at University of Da Nang.She studies at the University of Da Nang.
A name with of → the.
We stayed at Rex Hotel.We stayed at the Rex Hotel.
Hotels usually take the.
Examples
- My cousin is studying in the USA this year.
- We went on a boat trip on the Mekong last weekend.
- Manila is the capital of the Philippines.
- Have you ever climbed Mount Fansipan?
