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Dew 2007 Posted 18 years ago
Linguistics Studies
Baikal
Hello everyone. I've always thought that we should always use the article with lakes (unless it has a word "lake" beside) But I met a teacher of one of Russian Institutes who persuades me that Baikal is now used without the definite article. And it is the only lake that is used like that...
Could you clarify whether it is so indeed. Has the rule been changed?
Could you clarify whether it is so indeed. Has the rule been changed?
Top answer
According to all my grammar books, and what all my teachers have also said, lakes do not take a definite article. Seas, rivers, channels etc, however, take the article.
- According to all my grammar books, and what all my teachers have also said, lakes do not take a definite article.
- Seas, rivers, channels etc, however, take the article.
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11 Answers
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According to all my grammar books, and what all my teachers have also said, lakes do not take a definite article. Seas, rivers, channels etc, however, take the article.
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Articles are always a problem for ESL learners. As a native speaker I can tell you that intuitively I would always use an article with a river or sea-the Mississippi River, the Caribbean Sea-but never with a lake--Lake Erie, Lake Ponchatrain. It's also interesting that I would put the type of body of water following the river and sea, but before the name of the lake. In other words,
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Hi,
Yes, articles and names in such cases can be tricky for learners.
For lakes, the Great Lakes are usually spoken of as 'Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, etc'. A few other lakes also have nemaes that follow this pattern.
But the general way of referring to most lakes is to put the word 'lake' after the name, eg Heart Lake, Mirror Lake, etc.
Generally speaking, the d
Yes, articles and names in such cases can be tricky for learners.
For lakes, the Great Lakes are usually spoken of as 'Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, etc'. A few other lakes also have nemaes that follow this pattern.
But the general way of referring to most lakes is to put the word 'lake' after the name, eg Heart Lake, Mirror Lake, etc.
Generally speaking, the d
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Does the same rule apply to the word 'lake', by the way, than with 'river'? That is, In BrE it is normally the river Thames but in AE, so I've been told, it is usually the Hudson river.
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Hi,
That is perhaps true.
Such things tend to be pretty idiomatic.
In everyday English, we often omit the word' river' if it is well-known.
eg we often speak simply of 'the Thames', rather than 'the river Thames'.
Clive
That is perhaps true.
Such things tend to be pretty idiomatic.
In everyday English, we often omit the word' river' if it is well-known.
eg we often speak simply of 'the Thames', rather than 'the river Thames'.
Clive
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It's quite OK with rivers, but could you please clear up the question I've asked.
Do we use the article with the name of the lakes if it is used WITHOUT the word "lake"?
Do we use the article with the name of the lakes if it is used WITHOUT the word "lake"?
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Hi,
It's quite OK with rivers, but could you please clear up the question I've asked. Do we use the article with the name of the lakes if it is used WITHOUT the word "lake"?
Let' s assume that I live near a lake called 'Heart Lake'.
To my neighbours. I would typically say 'I went for a swim in the lake yesterday'.
To people who
It's quite OK with rivers, but could you please clear up the question I've asked. Do we use the article with the name of the lakes if it is used WITHOUT the word "lake"?
Let' s assume that I live near a lake called 'Heart Lake'.
To my neighbours. I would typically say 'I went for a swim in the lake yesterday'.
To people who
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Thanks, Clive. well, in this case it's quite clear, and if we speak about the world famous lakes like Lake Huron for example... or lake Victoria?
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Hi,
I live beside Lake Ontario, and I always say and hear 'the lake' or 'Lake Ontario'.
Clive
I live beside Lake Ontario, and I always say and hear 'the lake' or 'Lake Ontario'.
Clive
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So, we should always use all the names of the lakes with the word Lake and can't use them without it? Is there a rule about it or just a tendency?
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