Study materials
These three names sit side by side on a map, but their articles are different.
Poland, the Netherlands, the Alps
The general rules for choosing an article stay the same here. On top of them come a few types of place names that take the, and words like school or hospital, where the article changes the meaning.
Articles with place names
Most names on a map have no article. These are cities, streets, countries, continents, single mountains, single islands and lakes.
Kyiv, Oxford Street, Poland, Europe, Everest, Cyprus, Lake Geneva
All without an article.
A few types of names take the. They are easiest to learn as a list.
| Type of name | Examples |
|---|---|
| rivers | the Dnipro, the Thames |
| seas and oceans | the Black Sea, the Pacific |
| deserts | the Sahara |
| mountain ranges | the Alps, the Carpathians |
| groups of islands | the Canaries, the Philippines |
| countries with a plural or with republic, kingdom, states | the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic |
A single mountain or island has no article, while a range or a group of islands does: Everest, but the Himalayas. Ukraine is written without an article, and the form the Ukraine is outdated.
School, hospital and other places
Some words appear sometimes with an article and sometimes without. Without an article they mean the purpose of the place, what it exists for. With an article they mean a particular building.
My son goes to school.
He is a pupil and goes there to learn.
I went to the school to fix the roof.
I went to the building, not to study.
University, hospital, prison, church and bed behave the same way. Go to bed means go to sleep. The bed means the piece of furniture itself.
She's in hospital.
She is ill and being treated. This is British English, American English says in the hospital.
She's at the hospital.
She is in the hospital building. Perhaps she is visiting someone.
At home, at work and go to work have no article either. Go home has neither an article nor to.
Fixed phrases
Some phrases are simply learned whole. They have no article.
at night, by car, by bus, on foot
have breakfast, have lunch, have dinner
Meals have no article.
watch TV
But listen to the radio.
In the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening have the, although at night does not. Sports and games have no article, while musical instruments do.
She plays tennis.
A sport, no article.
He plays the guitar.
An instrument, with the.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is adding the to an ordinary country or city.
He lives in the Poland. → He lives in Poland.
A country with no plural and no republic or kingdom.
The second mistake is losing the where the name needs it.
We flew over Alps. → We flew over the Alps.
A mountain range takes the.
The third mistake is confusing the purpose of a place with the building.
My son goes to the school every morning. → My son goes to school every morning.
He goes there to learn.
The first and second mistakes show in the type of name. A city, a country, a single mountain or a single island has no article. A river, a sea, a range, a group of islands and a plural name take the. The third shows in why the person goes to the place. To study, to be treated or to sleep means no article. To go into the building itself, for example to visit someone, needs the.