THE USE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE THE Use "the" with geographic locations: 1) *GROUPS *GROUPS "the") *GROUPS

S *GROUPS OF STATES OR REGIONS (but not continents) OF ISLANDS* (and single islands if their names contain OF MOUNTAINS* (but not single mountains) and OF LAKES* (but not single lakes).

the Netherlands, the Balkans the Canary Islands (the Canaries) the Philippines but: Bermuda Long Island

Exceptions: any islands that have 'of' in their name: the Isle of Wight the Isle of Dogs the Isle of Man the Andes the Himalayas the Great Lakes the Finger Lakes 2) the the the the the the the the the but: Mount Everest Mount Fujiyama Lake Titicaca Lake Lucerne

All bodies of water except bays, and falls, (and singular lakes, as above). Mississippi River Mississippi) Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea Suez Canal Strait of Magellan English Channel Gulf of Mexico Persian Gulf but: Biscayne Bay Hudson Bay Niagara Falls Rainbow falls

Exceptions: when any body of water, even a bay, contains the word "of" in its name, we use both "of" and "the." the Bay of Naples the Bay of Biscay 3)Countries or political entities which consist of *more than one word*, the last noun of which describes a *political union or association*. the the the the the United States but: Dominican Republic United Kingdom Czech Republic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Brazil France Haiti New Zealand Saudi Arabia

Exceptions: when a country has "of" in its name, it usually also takes "the." 4)Deserts, forests, and peninsulas. the Sahara Desert the Black Forest the Amazon Forest 5)Points on the compass used as names of geographic areas. the Midwest the South the Middle East 6)Points on the globe. the North Pole, the Equator, the Arctic Circle ZERO ARTICLES 1) With names of continents: Africa, North America, Europe, Australia, South America, Asia 2) With names of cities: London, New York (City), Pretoria, Montevideo, Helsinki, Oslo, Lisbon Exception: The Hague but: western Australia northern Italy southern California

Sometimes the article from a foreign language is kept in translating the name of a city from a foreign language, and sometimes not. English: English: English: Havana Le Havre Los Angeles Spanish: French: Spanish: La Havana Le Havre Los Angeles

Note that when we say the name of the city with the word "of" as we sometimes do, then the word "city" is preceded by "the." *the* City of New York *the* City of Los Angeles 3) With names of states or counties. New York(New York State), British Columbia, Kent Yorkshire Note that states and counties too, when they have "of" in their names, use "the." the State of New York the State of Florida the Province of Quebec
the County of Sussex

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed a spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed a bird. How absurd, to swallow a bird! She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed a cat. Imagine that, to swallow a cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed a dog. What a hog, to swallow a dog! She swallowed the dog to catch the cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die. I know an old lady who swallowed a horse. She's dead of course!