Place names and the

A Introduction

Man: Could you tell me where the Classic Cinema is, please?

Rachel: Yes, it's in Brook Street. Go along here and take the second left.

Whether a name has the depends on the kind of place it is - for example;

a street (Brook Street)

a cinema (the Classic Cinema)

a lake (Lake Victoria)

or a sea (the North Sea)

Most place names do not have the.

Europe California Melbourne Brook Street Lake Victoria

Some place names have the - for example, a name with the word cinema or sea.

the Classic Cinema the North Sea

Whether we use the can also depend on the structure of the name.

We do not use the with a possessive ('s).

at Matilda's Restaurant

We often use the in structures with of, with an adjective and with plural names.

With of: the Avenue of the Americas

With an adjective: the White House

With a plural: the Bahamas

B Continents, countries, islands, states and counties

Most are without the.

travelling through Africa a holiday in Portugal on Jersey to Rhode Island

from Florida in Sussex

Words like republic and kingdom have the.

the Irish Republic the United Kingdom (the UK)

Plural names also have the.

the Netherlands the USA the Canary Islands

C Regions

Regions ending with the name of a continent or country are without the.

Central Asia South Wales Western Australia

Most other regions have the.

the West the Middle East the Riviera the Midlands

Phrases with of have the.

the South of France

D Hills and mountains

Most are without the.

She climbed (Mount) Everest. down North Hill

Hill ranges and mountain ranges have the.

skiing in the Alps over the Rockies

E Lakes, oceans, seas, rivers and canals

Only lakes are without the.

near Lake Michigan beside Coniston Water

Seas, oceans, rivers and canals have the.

the Mediterranean (Sea) across the Atlantic (Ocean) the (River) Thames the Suez Canal

F Cities, towns, suburbs and villages

Most are without the.

Harehills is a suburb of Leeds. Houston is west of New Orleans. We live in North London.

Exceptions are: The Hague and The Bronx. Note also the West End (of London).

G Roads, streets, squares and parks

Most are without the.

along Morden Road in Church Street on Fifth Avenue near Berkeley Square through Central Park

There are a few exceptions. the High Street The Avenue The Strand The Mall

Main roads and numbered roads have the. the Bath road (the road to Bath) the A5 the M6 (motorway)

H Bridges

Most are without the. over Tower Bridge on Brooklyn Bridge

But there are many exceptions. across the Golden Gate Bridge the Severn Bridge (the bridge over the River Severn)

I Stations and airports; important buildings

We do not use the with most stations and airports; with religious, educational and official buildings or with palaces and houses.

to Waterloo (Station) at Orly (Airport) near St Mary's Church Merton College Norwich Museum

Lambeth Palace Ashdown House

Exceptions are names with of or with a noun (science) or adjective (open).

at the University of York in the Palace of Westminster the Science Museum the Open University

past the White House

J Theatres, cinemas, hotels, galleries and centres

A possessive form ('s) is without the.

St Martin's (Theatre) at Durrant's (Hotel)

In the US names with center are without the. near Lincoln Center

But usually theatres, cinemas, etc have the.

at the Globe (Theatre) the Plaza (Cinema) outside the Dorchester (Hotel) in the Tate (Gallery)

the Brunei shopping centre

K Shops and restaurants

Most shops and restaurants are without the.

shopping at Bloomingdale's at Matilda's Restaurant

Names with a noun (body, studio) often have the. at the Body Shop The Studio Café