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There's a whole bunch of them that look as if they would require one, but actually don't:

Times Square, Trafalgar Square, Union Square, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, Hyde Park, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, Oxford University, etc.

As opposed to:

The Albert Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, etc.

Is there a rule, or some sort of historical reason?

Why this is not a duplicate question: This is not about the general rules about articles; nor am I asking for instructions on how to use them; I already know how.

Andrew Leach
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Ricky
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  • Proper names don't take the article. We say "The White House" because we are referring to its colour/color, not to someone's surname. We don't say "The Madame Tussaud's" which is a famous wax museum in London. Likewise we don't say "The Carnegie Hall". The names of cities, districts, towns, areas are proper nouns, and therefore capitalized. – Mari-Lou A Nov 04 '15 at 09:01
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    @Mari-LouA I think it boils down to what's idiomatic and what isn't. We certainly say The Houses of Parliament, or The Palace of Westminster - or The Tower of London, The London Eye, the Emirates Stadium, or The Post Office Tower. But I agree that for the most part proper nouns do not take an article. – WS2 Nov 04 '15 at 09:05
  • oops, I meant proper nouns. I don't know why Central Park doesn't have the definite article, but I would say that it is the park's full name. – Mari-Lou A Nov 04 '15 at 09:07
  • @Mari-Lou A: The Albert Bridge. The George Washington Bridge. The Eiffel Tower. – Ricky Nov 04 '15 at 09:11
  • @Mari-LouA Well Hyde Park doesn't either, nor does Hampstead Heath but The Seven Sisters Road usually does, though the street sign just says Seven Sisters Road. The Mall also takes the article. But then there are just a few football teams too, which take an article - e.g. The Arsenal – WS2 Nov 04 '15 at 09:11
  • I always felt that putting an article before proper nouns is like *Katakana in Japanese* which expresses loanwords from foreign languages. Whosever writes any Katakana down first, you have to follow it. It doesn't matter how it is spelled or whether there is a better Katakana which is closer to the original pronunciation. –  Nov 04 '15 at 09:16
  • @medica The question seems to be different as the linked one is a general question about articles before a noun and the OP is asking a specific question related with artiles before a proper noun. I am also very curious about this issue. –  Nov 04 '15 at 10:10
  • The question then seems to be "why do the proper names of inanimate objects sometimes include the definite article?" (Even when they do, they aren't always used. My favourite pub is called "The White Lion". I'm aware of several others with the same name. I don't normally say things like "Which The White Lion shall we go to tonight?") – JHCL Nov 04 '15 at 10:26
  • @JHCL: The keyword is "sometimes." As opposed to "never" or "always." – Ricky Nov 04 '15 at 10:30
  • Why don't you include those examples which contain the article, that would highlight the seemingly contradictory "rules". You've only listed names of buildings and parks with no supporting evidence, no personal reflection. Any user who posts a question is asked to include some/all their research. – Mari-Lou A Nov 04 '15 at 10:38
  • P.S (off topic) why do you often finish your posts with "thunder and lightning", is there a reason? Is it used as a catchphrase in the US? Is it being ironic or sarcastic? – Mari-Lou A Nov 04 '15 at 10:42
  • It would be helpful to indicate which question(s) this one is not a duplicate of. I would assert that you are asking for (specific) instructions on how to use them, though. – Andrew Leach Nov 04 '15 at 10:45
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    @Mari-LouA : "Thunder and lightning" is an archaic expression which in my case indicates a high degree of annoyance that would be obvious to everyone if it weren't compensated by my well-known good humor and friendly disposition. – Ricky Nov 04 '15 at 10:50
  • @AndrewLeach: You would assert wrong. – Ricky Nov 04 '15 at 10:50
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    Arguably the answer to your dilemma lies in this question: Use of definite article before phrases like Heathrow Airport, Hyde Park, Waterloo Station, Edgware Road and Parliament Square Also related:
    Also related: Why does English use definite articles before certain proper nouns, such as the names of ships? See Choster's answer for a long list of questions also related to this one.     – Mari-Lou A Nov 04 '15 at 19:44
  • Y'know you could swallow your pride and start posting again, don't you? – Mari-Lou A Nov 08 '15 at 19:08

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