Video Overview

Proper nouns refer to something specific and one of a kind and include peoples’ names, place names and one-of-a-kind things. In this video, we teach how to use articles correctly with proper nouns in English. We give easy to remember rules and simple examples to help you remember.

Video Analysis

Proper nouns include names, places and organisations.

With names of people or pets, we don't use any article. Likewise with most places or one of a kind things. However, there are a number of exceptions where we use the article 'the'.

We use the article ‘the’ usually for

• Buildings and places when we know what you are talking about. (The Library, The Cinema)
• Seas, lakes and bodies of water (The Adriatic, The Baltic Sea)
• Countries ending in Plurals or groups of islands and mountains (The Philippines, The Dolomites, The Alps)
• Man-made and natural wonders (The Golden Gate Bridge, The Eiffel Tower, The Leaning Tower of Pisa)
• Hotels, Bridges, museums, theatres, zoos, hotel and institutions
• Unique specific roads and streets (the High Street, the motorway, the A6)
• Universities with ‘of’ in the title (The University of Michigan)
• Organs of the body (the heart, the liver, the lungs)

Our video gives more information about when to use an article with proper nouns, with lots of examples.