Note: The rules for using 'the' with proper nouns vary by region and the history of the proper noun. This lesson covers the more generally-accepted rules.
Since proper nouns already refer to something specific, most do not need to be used with the specifying article 'the'. For example:
- Jasmine is reading a book. (= not 'The Jasmine')
- New Delhi is a city in India. (= not 'the New Delhi' or 'the India')
- Starbucks is a famous coffee shop.
- I made my mother breakfast for Mother's Day.
- The kids like Harry Potter. (= books/movies in the Harry Potter series)
- They want to climb Mt. Everest.
- Let's go to Roosevelt Island this weekend.
When do we use 'the' with proper nouns?
Use 'the' with:
1. Proper nouns that include 'of':
- the University of Massachusetts ('Harvard University' would not use 'the'.)
- the United States (of America), the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
2. Proper Nouns that are rivers, oceans, and structures:
- rivers: the Amazon, the Mississippi (River)
- oceans and seas: the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea
- structures: the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower
3. Plural proper nouns:
- groups of people: the Smiths (= the Smith family), the Beatles (= group of singers)
- mountain ranges: the Andes, the Himalayas
- groups of islands: the Philippines (Islands), the Galapagos Islands, the British Isles, the Bahamas (Islands)
- groups of lakes: the Great Lakes
- other: the Netherlands (historically meant 'the Low Lands')
