Mount Everest (not 'the...') Mount Etna Lake Superior Lake Constance
* They live near the lake. but They live near Lake Constance. (without 'the')
C. We use the with the names of oceans, seas, rivers and canals (see also Unit 77B):
the Atlantic (Ocean)
the Mediterranean (Sea)
the Red Sea
the Indian Ocean
the Channel (between France and Britain)
the Suez Canal
the (River) Amazon
the (River) Thames
the Nile
the Rhine
D. We use the with plural names of people and places:
people: the Taylors (= the Taylor family), the Johnsons
countries: the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United States
groups of islands: the Canaries/the Canary Islands, the Bahamas, the British Isles
mountain ranges: the Rocky Mountains/the Rockies, the Andes, the Alps
* The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc. (not 'the Mont Blanc')
E. North/northern etc.
We say: the north (of France) but northern France (without 'the')
the south-east (of Spain) but south-eastern Spain
Compare:
* Sweden is in northern Europe; Spain is in the south.
Also: the Middle East the Far East
You can also use north/south etc. + a place name (without 'the'):
North America West Africa South-East Spain
Note that on maps, the is not usually included in the name.
EXERCISES
76.1 Put in the where necessary. Leave a space (-) if the sentence is already complete.
1. Who is - Doctor Johnson? (The sentence is complete without the.)
2. I was ill, so I went to see --- doctor.
3. --- President is the most powerful person in --- United States.
4. --- President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
5. Do you know --- Wilsons? They're a very nice couple.
6. Do you know --- Professor Brown's phone number?
76.2 Some of these sentences are correct, but some need the (perhaps more than once). Correct the sentences where necessary. Put 'RIGHT' if the sentence is already correct.
1. Everest was first climbed in 1953. _RIGHT_
2. Milan is in north of Italy. _the north of Italy._
3. Africa is much larger than Europe.
4. Last year I visited Mexico and United States.
5. South of England is warmer than north.
6. Portugal is in western Europe.
7. France and Britain are separated by Channel.
8. Jim has travelled a lot in Middle East.
9. Chicago is on Lake Michigan.
10. The highest mountain in Africa is Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters).
11. Next year we are going skiing in Swiss Alps.
12. United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
13. Seychelles are a group of islands in Indian Ocean.
14. River Volga flows into Caspian Sea.
76.3 Here are some geography questions. Choose the right answer from one of the boxes and write the if necessary. You do not need all the names in the boxes. Use an atlas if necessary.
continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North, America, South, America
countries: Canada, Denmark, Indonesia, Sweden, Thailand, United States
oceans and seas: Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Red Sea
mountains: Alps, Andes, Himalayas, Rockies, Urals
rivers and canals: Amazon, Rhine, Danube, Thames, Nile, Volga, Suez Canal, Panama Canal
1. What do you have to cross to travel from Europe to America? _The Atlantic_
2. Where is Argentina?
3. Which is the longest river in Africa?
4. Of which country is Stockholm the capital?
5. Of which country is Washington the capital?
6. What is the name of the mountain range in the west of North America?
7. What is the name of the sea between Africa and Europe?
8. Which is the smallest continent in the world?
9. What is the name of the ocean between America and Asia?
10. What is the name of the ocean between Africa and Australia?
11. Which river flows through London?
12. Which river flows through Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade?
13. Of which country is Bangkok the capital?
14. What joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?
15. Which is the longest river in South America?
UNIT 77. Names with and without the (2)
A. Names without 'the'
We do not use 'the' with names of most streets/roads/squares/parks etc.:
Union Street (not 'the ...') Fifth Avenue Piccadilly Circus Hyde Park Blackrock Road Broadway Times Square Waterloo Bridge
Many names (especially names of important buildings and institutions) are two words:
Kennedy Airport Cambridge University
The first word is usually the name of a person ('Kennedy') or a place ('Cambridge'). We do not usually use 'the' with names like these. Some more examples:
Victoria Station (not 'the ...') Edinburgh Castle London Zoo Westminster Abbey Buckingham Palace Canterbury Cathedral
But we say 'the White House', 'the Royal Palace', because 'white' and 'royal' are not names like 'Kennedy' and 'Cambridge'. This is only a general rule and there are exceptions.
B. Most other names (of places, buildings etc.) have names with the:
adjective or the + name etc. + noun
the Hilton Hotel
the National Theatre
the Sahara Desert
the Atlantic Ocean
These places usually have names with the:
hotels/restaurants/pubs: the Station Hotel, the Bombay Restaurant, the Red Lion (pub)
theatres/cinemas: the Palace Theatre, the Odeon Cinema
museums/galleries: the British Museum, the Tate Gallery
other buildings: the Empire State Building, the Festival Hall, the White House
oceans/seas/canals: the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal
also:
newspapers: the Washington Post, the Financial Times
organizations (but see also Section D): the European Union, the BBC (= the British Broadcasting Corporation)
Sometimes we leave out the noun: the Hilton (Hotel), the Sahara (Desert)
Sometimes the name is only the + noun: the Vatican (in Rome), the Sun (British newspaper)
Names with ... of ... usually have the. For example:
the Bank of England
the Tower of London
the Museum of Modern Art
the Houses of Parliament
the Great Wall of China
the Tropic of Capricorn
the Gulf of Mexico
the University of London (but the London University)
C. Many shops, restaurants, hotels, banks etc. are named after the people who started them. These names end in -'s or -s. We do not use 'the' with these names:
Lloyds Bank (not the Lloyds Bank) McDonalds Jack's Guest House Harrods (shop)
Churches are often named after saints:
St John's Church (not the St John's Church)
St Paul's Cathedral
D. Names of companies, airlines etc. are usually without 'the':
Fiat (not the Fiat) Sony Kodak British Airways IBM
EXERCISES
77.1 Use the map to answer the questions in the way shown. Write the name of the place and the street it is in. On maps we do not normally use the. In your sentences, use the if necessary.
1. Is there a cine a near here? Yes, the Odeon in Baines Street.
2. Is there a supermarket near here? Yes, --- in ---.
3. Is there a hotel near here? Yes, --- in ---.
4. Is there a church near here? Yes, ---.
5. Is there a nub near here? Yes. ---.
6. Is there a museum near here? Yes, ---.
7. Is there a bank near here? Yes, ---.
8. Is there a Park near here? Yes, --- at the end of ---.
9. Is there a restaurant near here? Yes,---.
77.2 Where are these streets and buildings? Choose from the box to complete the sentences. Use the where necessary.
Acropolis Vatican Broadway White House Buckingham Palace St Mark's Cathedral Eiffel Tower Trafalgar Square
1. _Trafalgar_ Square is in London.
2. --- is in Paris.
3. --- is in Rome.
4. --- is in London.
5. --- is in New York.
6. --- is in Washington.
7. --- is in Athens.
8.--- is in Athens. is in Venice.
77.3 Choose the correct form, with or without the.
1. Have you ever been to _British Museum/the British Museum._ (the ... is correct)
2. _Hyde Park/The Hyde Park_ is a very large park in central London.
3. Another park in central London is _St James's Park/the St James's Park._
4. _Grand Hotel/The Grand Hotel_ is in _Baker Street/the Baker Street._
5. We flew to New York from _Gatwick Airport/the Gatwick Airport_ near London.
6. Frank is a student at _Liverpool University/the Liverpool University._
7. If you're looking for a good clothes shop, I would recommend _Harrison's/the Harrison's._
8. If you're looking for a good pub, I would recommend _Ship Inn/the Ship Inn._
9. _Statue of Liberty/The Statue of Liberty_ is at the entrance to _New York harbour/the New York harbour._
10. You should go to _Science Museum/the Science Museum._ It's very interesting,
11. John works for IBM/the IBM now. He used to work for _British Telecom/the British Telecom._
12. 'Which cinema are you going to this evening?' '_Classic/The Classic._'
13. I'd like to go to China and see _Great Wall/the Great Wall._
14. Which newspaper shall I buy--_Independent/the Independent_ or _Herald/the Herald_?
15. This book is published by _Cambridge University Press/the Cambridge University Press._
UNIT 78. Singular and plural
A. Sometimes we use a plural noun for one thing that has two parts. For example:
trousers (two legs) also jeans/tights/shorts/pants
pyjamas (top and bottom)
glasses (or spectacles)
binoculars
scissors
These words are plural, so they take a plural verb:
* My trousers are too long. (not 'is too long')
You can also use a pair of + these words:
* Those are nice jeans. or That's a nice pair of jeans. (not 'a nice jeans')
* I need some new glasses. or I need a new pair of glasses.
B. Some nouns end in -ics but are not usually plural. For example: athletics gymnastics mathematics (or maths) physics electronics economics politics
* Gymnastics is my favourite sport.
News is not plural (see Unit 69C):
* What time is the news on television? (not 'are the news')
Some words ending in -s can be singular or plural. For example:
means a means of transport many means of transport
series a television series two television series
species a species of bird 200 species of bird
C. Some singular nouns are often used with a plural verb. For example:
government staff team family audience committee company firm
These nouns are all groups of people. We often think of them as a number of people (= 'they'), not as one thing (= 'it'). So we often use a plural verb:
* The government (= they) want to increase taxes.
* The staff at the school (= they) are not happy with their new working conditions.
In the same way, we often use a plural verb after the name of a sports team or a company:
* Scotland are playing France next week (in a football match).
* Shell have increased the price of petrol.
A singular verb (The government wants.../Shell has... etc.) is also possible.
We always use a plural verb with police:
* The police have arrested a friend of mine. (not 'The police has')
* Do you think the police are well-paid?
Note that a person in the police is 'a policeman/a policewoman/a police officer' (not 'a police').
D. We do not often use the plural of person ('persons'). We normally use people (a plural word):
* He's a nice person. but They are nice people.
* Many people don't have enough to eat. (not 'doesn't have')
E. We think of a sum of money, a period of time, a distance etc. as one thing. So we use a singular verb:
* Twenty thousand pounds (= it) was stolen in the robbery. (not 'were stolen')
* Three years (= it) is a long time to be without a job. (not 'Three years are ...')
* Six miles is a long way to walk every day.
EXERCISES
78.1 Complete the sentences using a word from Sections A or B. Sometimes you need a or some.
1. My eyes aren't very good. I need _glasses._
2. This plant is _a_ very rare _species._
3. Footballers don't wear trousers when they play. They wear ---.
4. The bicycle is --- of transport.
5. The bicycle and the car are --- of transport.
6. I want to cut this piece of material. I need ---.
7. Ann is going to write --- of articles for her local newspaper.
8. There are a lot of American TV --- shown on British television.
9. While we were out walking, we saw 25 different --- of bird.
78.2 In each example the words on the left are connected with an activity (for example, a sport or an academic subject). Write the name of the activity. Each time the beginning of the word is given.
1. calculate algebra equation: mathematics.
2. government election minister: p---
3. finance trade industry: e---
4. running lumping throwing: a---
5. light heat gravity: ph---
6. exercises somersault parallel bars: gy---
7. computer silicon chip video games: el---
78.3 Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. In one sentence either the singular or plural verb is possible.
1. Gymnastics _is/are_ my favourite sport. ('is' is correct)
2. The trousers you bought for me _doesn't/don't_ fit me.
3. The police _want/wants_ to interview two men about the robbery last week.
4. Physics _was/were_ my best subject at school.
5. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine _isn't/aren't_ sharp enough.
6. Fortunately the news _wasn't/weren't_ as bad as we expected.
7. Where _does/do_ your family live?
8. Three days _isn't/aren't_ long enough for a good holiday.
9. I can't find my binoculars. Do you know where _it is/they are?_
10. Do you think the people _is/are_ happy with the government?
11. _Does/Do_ the police know how the accident happened?
12. I don't like very hot weather. Thirty degrees _is/are_ too warm for me.
78.4 Most of these sentences are wrong. Correct them where necessary; Put 'RIGHT' if the sentence is already correct.
1. The government want to increase taxes. _RIGHT (wants' is also correct)_
2. Susan was wearing a black jeans.
3. Brazil are playing Italy in a football match next Wednesday.
4. I like Martin and Jill. They're very nice persons.
5. I need more money than that. Ten pounds are not enough.
6. I'm going to buy a new pyjama.
7. The committee haven't made a decision yet.
8. Many people has given up smoking.
9. There was a police standing at the corner of the street.
10. Has the police arrived yet?
11. This scissors is not very sharp.
UNIT 79. Noun + noun (a tennis ball/a headache etc.)
A. We often use two nouns together (noun + noun) to mean one thing/person/idea etc. For example:
a tennis ball a bank manager a road accident income tax the city centre
The first noun is like an adjective--it tells us what kind of thing/person/idea etc. For example:
a tennis ball = a ball used to play tennis
a road accident = an accident that happens on the road
income tax = tax that you pay on your income
the sea temperature = the temperature of the sea
a London doctor = a doctor from London
So you can say:
a television camera a television programme a television studio a television producer
(all different things or people to do with television)
language problems marriage problems health problems work problems
(all different kinds of problems)
Compare:
garden vegetables (= vegetables that are grown in a garden)
a vegetable garden (= a garden where vegetables are grown)
Often the first word ends in ~ing. Usually these are things used for doing something. For example:
a washing machine a frying pan a swimming pool the dining room
Sometimes there are more than two nouns together:
* I waited at the hotel reception desk. (= a desk)
* We watched the World Swimming Championships on television.
* If you want to play table tennis (= a game), you need a table tennis table (= a table).
B. When nouns are together like this, sometimes we write them as one word and sometimes as two separate words. For example:
a headache toothpaste a weekend a stomach ache table tennis
There are no clear rules for this. If you are not sure, it is usually better to write two words.
You can often put a hyphen (-) between the two words (but this is not usually necessary): a dining-room the city-centre