Intermediate 📐 Grammar · #135 of 305

Articles with Geographical Names

Rules for the with rivers, ranges, countries.

Examples

  • the Nile
  • the Alps
  • Spain

Key rules

  • Use the for oceans, seas, rivers, mountain ranges, deserts, island groups
  • No article for most countries, cities, continents, single mountains and lakes
  • Use the for countries that are plural or contain Republic/Kingdom
  • Examples: the Alps, the Nile, Mount Everest

Common mistakes

  • I visited the France → I visited France
  • The Lake Victoria is big → Lake Victoria is big
💡 Tip: Plural and political names usually take the.
Practise this topic in the appPractise Intermediate quiz
← Prepositions after NounsQuantifiers with Of →

Related Intermediate topics

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Present Perfect Continuous

have been + -ing stresses duration up to now.

Past Perfect

had + past participle for an earlier past action.

Past Perfect Continuous

had been + -ing for duration before a past moment.

Future Continuous

will be + -ing for actions in progress at a future time.

Future Perfect

will have + past participle for completion before a future time.

Future Perfect Continuous

will have been + -ing for duration up to a future point.