ARTICLES WITH GEOGRAPHIC NAMES EXERCISE 1 (ESL)
level: Intermediate (B1/B2)
Most geographic proper nouns take no article in English — but rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, and countries whose names include a common noun always take the. Knowing which category a name falls into is the key skill this exercise practices.
Need a refresher? Jump to the grammar review ↓
Need a refresher? Jump to the grammar review ↓
Choose the or no article for each geographic name.
1. He was born in _________________ New York City.
Correct answer: NO ARTICLE — city names take no article — New York City, not the New York City.
2. _________________ Nile is a long African river.
Correct answer: The — rivers always take the — the Nile, the Thames.
3. We're going on vacation to _________________ Dominican Republic.
Correct answer: the — country names with a common noun (Republic, Kingdom, States) take the.
4. Have you been to _________________ Italy?
Correct answer: NO ARTICLE — country names take no article — Italy, not the Italy.
5. Los Angeles is in the state of _________________ California.
Correct answer: NO ARTICLE — US state names take no article — California, not the California.
6. _________________ Rocky Mountains are very high.
Correct answer: The — mountain ranges always take the — the Rocky Mountains.
7. He lives in _________________ United States.
Correct answer: the — country names with a common noun (States) take the — the United States.
8. _________________ South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Correct answer: NO ARTICLE — country names ending in a proper name take no article — South Africa.
9. _________________ Republic of Ireland is in the European Union.
Correct answer: The — country names with a common noun (Republic) take the.
10. Have you ever been to _________________ Netherlands?
Correct answer: the — country names with a common noun (Netherlands = lowlands) take the.
Grammar review
Articles with geographic names — the or no article?
Geographic names follow specific article rules that must be memorized as patterns. Most proper geographic nouns take no article, but certain categories always take the.
NO article with:
• Most countries: France, Canada, Japan, Brazil
• Continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia
• Cities and towns: Paris, London, New York, Cairo
• Single islands: Sicily, Corsica, Bali
• Lakes (with the word “Lake”): Lake Superior, Lake Geneva
• Mountains (with the word “Mount” or “Mt.”): Mount Everest, Mount Fuji
USE the with:
• Countries whose name includes a common noun: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Czech Republic
• Plural country names: the Maldives, the Seychelles
• Rivers: the Amazon, the Nile, the Thames, the Mississippi
• Oceans and seas: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean
• Mountain ranges: the Alps, the Himalayas, the Rockies, the Andes
• Groups of islands: the Canary Islands, the Bahamas, the Caribbean
• Regions: the Middle East, the Far East, the Midwest
Memory tip: If the geographic name is a collection (range, group, chain) or includes a generic noun (states, kingdom, republic), it takes the.
Geographic names follow specific article rules that must be memorized as patterns. Most proper geographic nouns take no article, but certain categories always take the.
NO article with:
• Most countries: France, Canada, Japan, Brazil
• Continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia
• Cities and towns: Paris, London, New York, Cairo
• Single islands: Sicily, Corsica, Bali
• Lakes (with the word “Lake”): Lake Superior, Lake Geneva
• Mountains (with the word “Mount” or “Mt.”): Mount Everest, Mount Fuji
USE the with:
• Countries whose name includes a common noun: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Czech Republic
• Plural country names: the Maldives, the Seychelles
• Rivers: the Amazon, the Nile, the Thames, the Mississippi
• Oceans and seas: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean
• Mountain ranges: the Alps, the Himalayas, the Rockies, the Andes
• Groups of islands: the Canary Islands, the Bahamas, the Caribbean
• Regions: the Middle East, the Far East, the Midwest
Memory tip: If the geographic name is a collection (range, group, chain) or includes a generic noun (states, kingdom, republic), it takes the.
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
Articles with geographic names follow their own set of rules — reinforce them with these related practice exercises.
More article exercises:
A or the? 1 (A1/A2)
A or the? 2 (A1/A2)
Article or no article? 1 (A2/B1)
Article or no article? 2 (A2/B2)
Article or no article? 3 (A2/B2)
Indefinite articles (a/an) 1 (A1/A2)
Indefinite articles (a/an) 2 (A1/A2)
Mixed articles 1 (A2/B1)
Mixed articles 2 (A2/B1)
Articles with idioms 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
Articles with geographic names follow their own set of rules — reinforce them with these related practice exercises.
More article exercises:
A or the? 1 (A1/A2)
A or the? 2 (A1/A2)
Article or no article? 1 (A2/B1)
Article or no article? 2 (A2/B2)
Article or no article? 3 (A2/B2)
Indefinite articles (a/an) 1 (A1/A2)
Indefinite articles (a/an) 2 (A1/A2)
Mixed articles 1 (A2/B1)
Mixed articles 2 (A2/B1)
Articles with idioms 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
