The definite article with names of countries and cities

— The following are the most important rules concerning the use of the definite article with the names of countries and cities :

a. It is required before the names of countries, especially when these are used as subject or object of verbs.

Nous visiterons l'Angleterre. We shall visit England.

La France est un beau pays. France is a beautiful country.

b. It is omitted after en, in, and de, from, before the feminine singular names of countries.

II voyage en Italic He is traveling in Italy.

Nous allons en Suisse. We are going to Switzerland.

Son frère vient d'Espagne. His brother comes from Spain.

c. It is required after à, in, to, and de, from, before the masculine names of countries.

Il vient aux États-Unis. He is coming to the United States.

Mon père va au Mexique. My father is going to Mexico.

Ce vapeur vient du Japon. This steamer comes from Japan.

d. Generally the definite article is not used before the names of cities. However, it is used before the following cities : New Orleans (la Nouvelle-Orléans), Havre (le Havre), the Hague (la Haye).

Je demeure à Boston. / live in Boston.

Il est à Paris. He is in Paris.

Mon frère va à Londres. My brother is going to London.

Nous venons de Bordeaux. We come from Bordeaux.

Le vapeur va au Havre. The steamer is going to Havre.

29. Irregular verbs. — Study the irregular verbs aller, to go; venir, to come; devenir, to become; revenir, to come back, return.

EXERCISE

(a) i. Will you go to church if he comes1? 2. He died in Spain last week. 3. Who took down the pictures this afternoon? 4. How much did you pay for that white cow? 5. The train arrived late last evening. 6. He was selling his old horse to our new neighbor. 7. Would you have gone to New Orleans with his cousin? 8. He was very young when he came to the United States. 9. Have the farmers already taken in their wheat ? 10. Who was beaten by that man ?

(b) 11. While we were walking in the woods we met John and his uncle. 12. The man had washed himself in the kitchen.

1 A conditional sentence is composed of a condition clause and a result clause. If the verb in the result clause is in the future tense, the verb in the condition clause must be present ; if the verb in the result clause is conditional, the verb in the condition clause must be imperfect. In the same way, the future perfect of the result clause will require the verb of the condition clause to be present perfect ; the conditional perfect of the result clause will require the verb of the condition clause to be pluperfect.

Je viendrai si vous jouez. / shall come if you play.

Il serait allé si vous aviez joué. He would have gone if you had

played.

13. Who was speaking to your young sister? 14. He had risen during the night because he was sick. 15. Whom have you noticed behind the house? 16. We should have taken the newspapers up to the old lady. 17. The bird remained a long time in that tree. 18. They had finished their dinner when I arrived. 19. Did you often go to church when you lived in the country? 20. My brother is living in London.

(c) 21. The boy returned to school immediately. 22. From whom will you receive a large package? 23. Would you go with his pretty sister? 24. The sun rises early in summer. 25. He ran very fast when he was going to the station. 26. Will you give the money to Mary if you find it? 27. He had gone downstairs with his brother. 28. With whom did the other girls walk to the city? 29. Who was loved by1 everybody when he lived here? 30. My father went to Canada last summer.

(d) 31. John is coming back from England in a week.