Shop names

Question

Hello!I have a question concerning the usage of articles with names of shops.1) For example I am leaving a message for my friend:Please, visit the fishmonger's and buy...(the one we always visit)but, if i don't mean a specific shop, should I say:2) Please, visit a fishmonger's and buy...3) I think the freshest fish are in Barney greengrocer’s (I am giving a name of the shop - no article?)4) I often do the shopping in Marks and Spencer (no article?)5) I always do the shopping in the Marks and Spencer in  front of my house.(I am talking about a specific shop, so should I use the article?)6) Marks and Spencer shops are very popular in Great Britain.What about restaurants?7) Teenagers often eat in McDonald's. (no article?)8) McDonald's restaurants are popular among the young.I will appreciate your help. Thank you!

Dcorks · Accepted Answer

Shadok1) Please, visit the fishmonger's and buy...(the one we always visit)
but, if i don't mean a specific shop, should I say:
2) Please, visit a fishmonger's and buy...
3) I think the freshest fish are in Barney greengrocer’s (I am giving a name of the shop - no article?)
4) I often do the shopping in Marks and Spencer (no article?)
5) I always do the shopping in the Marks and Spencer in front of my house.
(I am talking about a specific shop, so should I use the article?)
6) Marks and Spencer shops are very popular in Great Britain.

What about restaurants?
7) Teenagers often eat in McDonald's. (no article?)
8) McDonald's restaurants are popular among the young.

all of that sounds accurate.

3) with a specific name, the article isn't necessary.

4,5,6) the differentiation to make is between a chain of shops and a particular shop of that chain.

4) could also be said as "I often do the shopping in the Marks and Spencer chain of clothing stores." but that's a bit cumbersome, so the proper name (used to refer to the entire chain, as we don't care about particular shops here) is used instead.

5) here we're differentiating between particular shops, so an article is helpful. similarly, "I prefer the Marks and Spencer in London to the Marks and Spencer in Brighton because it has a larger selection of sizes."

6) "Marks and Spencer shops are very popular in Great Britain."

6) "(The) Marks and Spencer (chain) is very popular in Great Britain."

as an example of when you'd use the indefinite article ('a'):

"I want to find a different Marks and Spencer. The Marks and Spencer near my house has unfriendly staff."

what i think may be confusing here is that people often use the term as a proper name if differentiation between various shops isn't necessary. "I'm going to go to Marks and Spencer. Do you want me to pick up anything for you?" this would often be used if there's only one possible location the two people could be referring to, especially if there's never been a different location to refer to (e.g. there's only one Marks and Spencer in the city where they live).

all the same would hold true for restaurants.

hope this helps.

Shop names

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