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The first national park: articles with place names like the Rocky Mountains

A2 learners sort out articles with place names in this ESL lesson plan set in Yellowstone: Wyoming and Yellowstone Lake, but the Rocky Mountains.

Grammar
Articles with geographical names: none with states, cities, single lakes, single mountains and parks (Wyoming, Lake Michigan), and the with rivers, oceans, ranges, deserts, canyons and plural names (the Yellowstone River, the United States).
Topic
Yellowstone, called the world's first national park: geysers, bison and words such as erupt, steam, boardwalk and herd.
Activities
A park guide to read, a dialogue at Old Faithful and a viewer's voice message to hear, self-checking drills, a chat helping a visitor with his map, a question wheel and open boxes.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Welcome to Yellowstone!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: YellowstoneVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: the first national park

    • Look at the photo: Yellowstone LakePictureUnlock
    • Read Nora's park guideReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: waiting for Old Faithful

    • Listen to Nora and MarcoListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to Camila's questionListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: the or no the?

    • Study the scheme: place names with and without theGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionTry it
    • Fill in the gaps: add the when you need itFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Sort the place names: with the or without theSort into columnsUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: help Simon in the park

    • Choose the right replies: help Simon in the parkChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: places you've seenOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the words from the lessonFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Fill in the table: write the full namesFill in the tableUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Choose the right questionQuizUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: Nora's postChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: Maya's postcard to CamilaDrag and dropUnlock

29 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • hot spring
  • steam
  • boardwalk
  • bison
  • herd
  • elk
  • log

Grammar: articles with place names

With geographical names, the article depends on the kind of place, not on the name: Yellowstone Lake, but the Yellowstone River. Using Yellowstone's lakes, rivers and mountains, learners sort names into two groups, with and without the, see how one name can land in both, and use the with plain nouns such as the park.

Wyoming, but the Rocky Mountains

Some place names have the, and some don't. The kind of place tells you.

No the, or the? The kind of place decides

No the with states and cities (Montana, Atlanta), one lake (Lake Michigan), one mountain (Mount Rainier) or a park (Central Park). Rivers, oceans, ranges, deserts and canyons take the (the Pacific Ocean, the Sonoran Desert), and so do plural and of names: the Great Lakes, the United States.

No the 🚫the ✅
states and cities: Wyoming, Montana, Louisiana, Atlantarivers and oceans: the Yellowstone River, the Pacific Ocean
one lake: Yellowstone Lake, Lake Michiganmountain ranges (many mountains): the Rocky Mountains, the Absaroka Range
one mountain: Mount Washburn, Mount Rainier, Eagle Peakdeserts and canyons: the Sonoran Desert, the Grand Canyon
parks: Yellowstone National Park, Central Parkplurals and “of” names: the United States (of America), the Great Lakes

Same name, another place

One name can sit in both groups: Yellowstone Lake has no article, but the Yellowstone River does, and one mountain, Mount Washburn, takes none, while a range, the Rocky Mountains, does. Mississippi is a state; the Mississippi is a river.

Same name, another place!

Yellowstone Lake (one lake: no the), but the Yellowstone River (a river: the). Mount Washburn (one mountain: no the), but the Rocky Mountains (many mountains: the). Fun fact: Mississippi is a state, but the Mississippi is a river!

The park, the state: plain nouns take the

A name such as Yellowstone National Park or Old Faithful has no article, but a plain word for the same place does: the park, the state, the lake, the geyser. Most of the park is in Wyoming.

The park, the state

Names like Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Old Faithful have no the. But with a normal word for the place, say the: the park, the state, the lake, the geyser. Most of the park is in Wyoming.

Both kinds in one sentence

Real sentences mix the two groups, so each name needs its own decision: The Yellowstone River flows into Yellowstone Lake. Yellowstone is part of the Rocky Mountains. Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?

  • Old Faithful is in Wyoming.
  • Yellowstone is part of the Rocky Mountains.
  • The Yellowstone River flows into Yellowstone Lake.
  • Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?
  • Camila lives in Louisiana, in the United States.
  • Maya has never climbed Mount Washburn.

Common mistakes

  • We drove to the Wyoming.

    We drove to Wyoming.

    states: no the

  • We saw Rocky Mountains.

    We saw the Rocky Mountains.

    mountain ranges: the

  • We had lunch at the Yellowstone Lake.

    We had lunch at Yellowstone Lake.

    one lake: no the

  • Camila lives in United States.

    Camila lives in the United States.

    plurals and “of” names: the

More lessons on this grammar: Articles lessons and exercises

Try the articles with place names exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 16 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • leave out the with states, cities, single lakes and single mountains: Old Faithful is in Wyoming. Have you ever climbed Mount Washburn?
  • use the with rivers, oceans, mountain ranges and deserts: the Yellowstone River, the Pacific Ocean, the Rocky Mountains
  • use the with plural and of names and with plain nouns: the United States, the Great Lakes, the park
  • help a visitor find places and keep park rules: That's Yellowstone Lake. Stay at least 25 yards away.

Lesson 4 closes Wonders of nature, the first unit of English A2.2 · Curious Minds. It builds on lesson 24 of English A1.2 · Out and About, which taught a, an and the for first and second mention, and turns to place names; the unit's present perfect comes back in Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? Unit 2, Clever tech at home, returns to the present perfect with just. Yellowstone's map puts both kinds side by side: Yellowstone Lake, the Yellowstone River.

A wheel of questions about parks, waterfalls and animals opens the lesson, and ten word cards with pictures and audio follow, from erupt and boil to elk and log. Nora's park guide covers the 1872 law, the three states, the lake and the river, Old Faithful and two safety rules. Two AI-voiced listenings follow: Nora and Marco on the boardwalk, with a bison close by, until Old Faithful erupts, and a viewer's question from Louisiana. The scheme is one two-column table with tips, and four self-checking drills follow, among them a sort of fourteen place names. In the chat, students help a visitor read his park map, then open boxes about places they've seen.

Eight homework exercises close the lesson, all self-checking: a word match, an anagram, word gaps, a table of full names, sentences to unjumble with the as a separate piece, a quiz on the right question, Nora's post with options to choose and Maya's postcard with words to drag in.

Grammar:
articles with place names · no the: states, cities, lakes, mountains, parks · the: rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts · the United States
Topic:
Yellowstone · national parks · geysers · Old Faithful · bison · Wyoming · Curious Minds

Teaching tips

  • Put a US map on the board and point to places in turn: students name each one with or without the, as in Montana, the Pacific Ocean or Lake Michigan, and say what kind of place it is.
  • Before the park guide, ask what students know about Yellowstone: which state is it in, and what is Old Faithful? The guide answers both, and the viewer's voice message asks the first question again.
  • Color-code the two columns while students study the scheme, one color for names with the and one for names without, then have them add names from their own country.
  • Give the chat a second round in pairs: one student plays a lost visitor with a map, the other answers with full names, such as That's the Yellowstone River, and adds a park rule.

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The whole course: English A2.2 · Curious Minds

32 lessons that pick up where English A2.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present perfect to used to, have to and relative clauses. Eight units cover nature, tech at home, heroes, healthy habits, fashion, school, animals and traditions. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Wonders of nature

    the present perfect with ever and never, been to, superlatives with I've ever, articles with place names

    1. Lesson 1Have you ever seen the sky dance?The present perfect for experiences
    2. Lesson 2Have you been to the Grand Canyon?Present perfect vs past simple
    3. Lesson 3The longest cave in the worldSuperlatives with the present perfect
    4. Lesson 4 · you're hereThe first national parkArticles with place names

  2. Unit 2 Clever tech at home

    the present perfect with just, already and yet, phrasal verbs, subject and object questions

    1. Lesson 5The chocolate bar that meltedThe present perfect with just
    2. Lesson 6Has my lunch arrived yet?Already and yet with the present perfect
    3. Lesson 7Turn it on, turn it offPhrasal verbs with it and them
    4. Lesson 8The girl who tests waterSubject and object questions

  3. Unit 3 Everyday heroes

    the past continuous, when and while, adjective order, story linkers

    1. Lesson 9When the pager beepsThe past continuous with was and were
    2. Lesson 10The man who planted apple treesPast continuous and past simple with when and while
    3. Lesson 11What's in the lost and found?The order of adjectives
    4. Lesson 12The dogs who saved NomeStory linkers

  4. Unit 4 Healthy and happy habits

    will for predictions, the zero and first conditionals, so do I and neither do I

    1. Lesson 13Why does school start later in California?Will and won't for predictions, decisions and offers
    2. Lesson 14Brain freeze!The zero conditional for facts
    3. Lesson 15Doctor's orders: go to the park!The first conditional with if and will
    4. Lesson 16Walking in the mall at 7 a.m.Agreeing with So do I and Neither do I

  5. Unit 5 Style through time

    used to, didn't use to, made of and made from, still and not anymore

    1. Lesson 17Why did everyone use to wear a hat?Used to for past habits and states
    2. Lesson 18Jeans used to be work clothesUsed to in negatives and questions
    3. Lesson 19Quilts made from old clothesMade of, made from and made by
    4. Lesson 20Cowboy boots, still made by handStill, not anymore and no longer

  6. Unit 6 School in America

    have to, must and mustn't, be allowed to, had to

    1. Lesson 21Do you have to wear a uniform?Have to and don't have to for rules
    2. Lesson 22Stop for the yellow bus!Must, mustn't and don't have to
    3. Lesson 23A class trip to the SmithsonianBe allowed to and can for permission
    4. Lesson 24One room, one teacher, every gradeHad to and didn't have to for past duties

  7. Unit 7 Amazing animals

    relative clauses with which, that, who and where, look and sound + adjective, adjectives with prepositions

    1. Lesson 25The bird that copies car alarmsRelative clauses with which and that
    2. Lesson 26Alligators and crocodiles togetherWho, which, that and where in relative clauses
    3. Lesson 27Sailors thought it was a mermaidLook, sound and feel as linking verbs
    4. Lesson 28Beagles at the airportAdjectives with prepositions

  8. Unit 8 Traditions we love

    invitations, will vs going to, so and such, one and ones

    1. Lesson 29Come to our cookout!Making, accepting and refusing invitations
    2. Lesson 30Is spring going to come early?Will vs going to for the future
    3. Lesson 31From turnips to pumpkinsSo and such for emphasis
    4. Lesson 32Giant balloons over ManhattanOne and ones in place of a noun

Questions about this lesson

How do you use articles with geographical names?
With geographical names, the kind of place decides whether you need the. States, cities, parks and most single lakes and mountains take no article: Wyoming, Yellowstone Lake, Mount Washburn, Yellowstone National Park. Rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, canyons and plural names take the: the Yellowstone River, the Pacific Ocean, the Rocky Mountains, the United States. A and an don't go with these names.
When do you use the with geographical names?
Use the with rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts and canyons: the Yellowstone River, the Pacific Ocean, the Absaroka Range, the Sonoran Desert, the Grand Canyon. Plural names and names with of take it too: the Great Lakes, the United States of America. A plain noun for a place you both know takes the as well: the park, the lake. The A2 lesson The first national park on edio.ai sorts Yellowstone's names this way.
Which geographical names have no article?
States, cities, parks and most single lakes and mountains have no article: Wyoming, Atlanta, Central Park, Lake Michigan, Mount Rainier. The name Old Faithful has none either, so the Old Faithful is wrong. Lake or Mount at the front of a name is a good clue: Lake Michigan, Mount Washburn. Most countries belong here too: Canada, Mexico, Japan.
Do countries take the in English?
Most countries take no article: Canada, Mexico, Japan. The exceptions are plural names and names built on a word like States, Kingdom or Republic: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines. So it's She lives in the United States, never in United States. States inside the US follow the no-article rule: Louisiana, Montana, Idaho.
Why is it Yellowstone Lake but the Yellowstone River?
Because the article follows the kind of place, not the name: a lake usually takes no article, and a river always takes the. So one word gives both Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone River. Another pair works the same way: Mississippi is a state, but the Mississippi is a river. When you aren't sure, ask what kind of place the name stands for, then check the two groups.
Do you say the with mountains?
One mountain usually takes no the; a range always does: Mount Rainier, Eagle Peak, but the Rocky Mountains and the Absaroka Range. So it's We saw the Rocky Mountains, not We saw Rocky Mountains, and Have you ever climbed Mount Washburn?, not the Mount Washburn. A gap-fill in The first national park, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, gives Rocky + Mountains and Mount + Washburn and leaves the article to the student.
How do I teach articles with place names?
Let students find the rule in real names: give a mixed list, such as Yellowstone Lake, the Yellowstone River, Montana and the Pacific Ocean, and have them sort it into two columns, with and without the. Then name the kind of place in each column. In The first national park on edio.ai, the scheme is a single two-column table, and a sort of fourteen names follows it.
What's a good game for practicing articles with place names?
A map race works well: pairs get two minutes to find as many names with the as they can on a park or city map, then read them aloud while the class checks each one. A spin-the-wheel or open-the-box prompt such as Name a river and a lake near your home makes every student decide: the Hudson River, but Lake Erie.
How do you practice articles with place names one-to-one?
Plan a road trip together on a real map: the student names each stop, and every name needs a decision, as in Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River or Montana. For practice without a partner, the chat in the A2 lesson The first national park on edio.ai has the student help a visitor in Yellowstone name a lake, a river and the mountains on his map.
What's good homework for practicing articles with place names?
Good homework gives the name and leaves the article to the student: a table where Madison becomes the Madison River, questions to choose such as Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?, and sentences to unjumble with the as its own piece. In The first national park, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, all eight homework exercises check themselves, from a word match to Maya's postcard.
Are there interactive exercises for articles with place names?
Yes: two-option drills and chats make the choice between the and no article quick to practice. This page plays four parts of The first national park, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, with no account: Nora's park guide to Yellowstone, Nora and Marco waiting for Old Faithful on the boardwalk, a choice between pairs such as Wyoming and the Wyoming, and a chat in which students help a visitor with his park map. The rest is locked.
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