Grammar
Learning Centre
Definite Articles in Place Names
1. Groups of mountains …
but a single mountain …
the Himalayas, the Andes Mountains
Mount Fujiyama, Tsukao Mountain
2. Groups of islands …
but a single island …
the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines
Maui, Hainan Island, Borneo
3. Countries with government name … the People’s Republic of China
but without government name …
China
but if plural …
the Cameroons
4. A river …
the Yangtze River, the Columbia River
5. A valley …
the Willamette Valley
6. A Delta …
the Mississippi Delta
(A delta is an area of low, flat land where a river splits into
several branches before entering the sea.)
7. A Peninsula …
the Saanich Peninsula
(A peninsula is a long, narrow piece of land joined to the mainland,
but almost completely surrounded by water.)
8. An Ocean …
the Pacific Ocean
9. A Gulf …
the Gulf of Mexico
(A gulf is a large area of sea which extends a long way into the surrounding land.)
10. A Cape …
Cape Cod
(A cape is a large piece of land that sticks out into the sea.)
11. A Sound …
Puget Sound
(A sound is an arm of the sea, a narrow passage of water that joins
two larger bodies of water or separates an island and the mainland.)
12. A Strait …
the Strait of Magellan, the Formosa Strait
(A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water.)
© 2013 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.
Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.
Authored by the
Centre
byLearning
Emily Simpson
Add definite articles to these place names where necessary:
______Coast Mountains
______North Shore Mountains
______Howe Sound
______Bowen Island
______Sechelt Peninsula
______Sunshine Coast
______Texada Island
______Vancouver Island
______Province of British Columbia
______Saanich Peninsula
______Victoria
______Strait of Juan de Fuca
______Juan de Fuca Strait
______Cape Flattery
______Pacific Ocean
______Fraser River
______Fraser Valley
______Mount Baker
______Fraser Delta
Answer Key
the Coast Mountains
the North Shore Mountains
Howe Sound
Bowen Island
the Sechelt Peninsula
the Sunshine Coast
Texada Island
Vancouver Island
the Province of British Columbia
the Saanich Peninsula
Victoria
the Strait of Juan de Fuca
the Juan de Fuca Strait
Cape Flattery
the Pacific Ocean
the Fraser River
the Fraser Valley
Mount Baker
the Fraser Delta
______British Columbia
______Lake Cowichan
______Gulf of Georgia
______Strait of Georgia
______Georgia Strait
______Gulf Islands
______Saltspring Island
______San Juan Islands
______Skagit Valley
______Whidbey Island
______Puget Sound
______Mount Rainer
______United States of America
______States
______Olympic Peninsula
______Cascade Mountains
______Cascades
______Orcas Island
British Columbia
Lake Cowichan
the Gulf of Georgia
the Strait of Georgia
the Georgia Strait
the Gulf Islands
Saltspring Island
the San Juan Islands
the Skagit Valley
Whidbey Island
Puget Sound
Mount Rainer
the United States of America
the States
the Olympic Peninsula
the Cascade Mountains
the Cascades
Orcas Island
© 2013 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.
Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.
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