USING THE WITH NAMES: WHAT ARE THE RULES?

Abstract

Rules given by both grammar books and classroom textbooks for the use of the with proper names are inadequate. The traditional analysis of this area of grammar, by semantic field, misses the point. In this article, I suggest that an alternative analysis into 'real' and 'descriptive' names is more illuminating. I then attempt to explain some of the apparent exceptions to rules, and offer - for practical classroom purposes - an expanded version of the traditional analysis.