<h1>Articles</h1>

Use of articles

In general, we don’t use an article with plural countable nouns. However, we could use an article if we wanted to state something with respect to a whole.

For example:

Freelance writers want to grow their incomes.

Here we are talking about all freelance writers in general.

The walking dead freelance writers want to grow their income.

Here we add an article because we are specifying a segment from the whole. We don’t talk not only about freelance writers but also those who have designed the television drama series.

 

As regards proper nouns in the singular will use the article “the”when they are related with name of buildings . In plural will be used when are referred to islands, mountains or lakes.  As in these examples:

The Empire State Building is a compulsory visit when you travel to New York.

The Cayman Islands are a beautiful destination for turists.

Remember that what distinguishes a proper noun from a common noun is that can be only be applied to an unique and specific noun. In case of serious doubt remember that a proper noun will be always starting with a capital letter. Some examples of proper nouns would be name of monuments ( the Leaning Tower of Pisa) , countries ( the Russian Empire), military or musical group ( the United States Marine Corps, the Rolling Stoles), political party ( the Tea Party ), trade and brand names (the Dunkin’ Donuts Center), etc…

Let’s take a glance to a list of proper nouns that will and won’t include article:

Using the before: 

 

Deserts/forests/peninsula/gulf  /archipelago/coast (line)   

                                              

Points in globe as The Greenwich Meridian or the South Pole.                                                                                                    

Geographical areas:North,South,East,West

Woods finished in –earn make reference to a zone over the globe or something relating to that zone as for example:

The northern region experienced heavy rain.

 Name of invention, theory, concept or notion.

The notion of God as all-powerful.

It is hard to think about the concept of death.

Devices, where the proper noun will be acting as an adjective.

 The Hubble Space Telescope .

Body of water except bays, lakes and falls.

The Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian fjords. 

 

Not using the before:

 

 Subject names

Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Philosophy…

Firm/Society names

Toyota, Seat, Ernst & Young, Bank of America.

Names of Continents/Countries/Cities/

Villages.

This rule will not be applied when the country name comprises the word “Republic”, “Empire”, “Kingdom” or “States”

The Roman Empire, The Republic of Belarus…

First Name, Surname , Pseudonym.

Name of President, Doctor, Mr(man), Ms(woman who we don’t know if she is married or not),Mrs(a married female), Miss (an unmarried female).

I must visit the doctor. I must visit Doctor Stone.

Street names

Abbey Court, Alabama Avenue, Alton Place.

Names of lakes, falls or bays

As an exception to this rule, we will consider Lakes ensemble.

The Great Lakes region, The Lakes of Mount Kelimutu…

Island or mountain names

Concurrently at what happens in lakes, an article will be required when it’s an ensemble of islands or mountains.

The Canarian Islands are composed by Tenerife Island…

The Pyrinees are a mountain range located on the borders of France, Spain and Andorra.

Nationalities and languages.