Although we do not use the definite article before proper nouns, we use it before common nouns and in “the United States of America” the article goes with “states,”not with “America.” The USA was founded as a voluntary union of thirteen independent and sovereign states, not as a single entity named “America.”
Why we use the before United States of America?
“North America” and “South America” are the proper nouns, names for two continents. So we won’t use “the” before them. In North America, 13 colonies united to form a nation. So they called themselves “the United States of America”.
Do we use the before America?
This question already has answers here:
Usually, we do not use the definite article, the, before names of countries but we use the before “United States of America”.
Why is it The USA and not the India?
Why do we call U.S The U.S.A and India not “The” India? Well, ‘The’ can’t be used before India as ‘India’ is a proper noun. ‘The’ can’t be used before a proper noun. Whereas in the United States, ‘the’ is used for ‘states’.
Is it The USA or The USA?
Based on the above, saying “the USA” (starting out lowercase) is appropriate, because it is a shortcut referring to the informal name of “United States of America”, while “The USA” (starting out uppercase) is also appropriate, because it is a shortcut referring to the full authentic name.
Why we dont use the with India?
India is a proper noun i.e., a name. Proper nouns are not preceded by ‘the’. USA stands for United States of America which is a collective noun and hence the addition of ‘the’ before USA.
Why some countries use the?
Countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom also carry the definite article because they are compound nouns with adjectives. Professor Liberman says the habit of putting “the” in front of place names is heard throughout the English-speaking world and is common to Germanic and Romance languages.
Can we use the before Delhi?
If a proper noun is used as a common noun we need the definite article before that noun. In the sentence given, we have “ London” a proper noun being used as a common noun for the sake of comparison, we need “ the” before “ London”. “Delhi is the London of India.”
Is a European correct?
‘An’ is used before words which begin with a vowel sound. Note that we are talking about sounds and not spelling. For example the word “European” begins with the vowel letter ‘e’ but it is pronounced with the consonant sound / j /. Therefore we say and write, “He’s British but he thinks of himself as a European.”
Why there is the before Netherlands?
In English, we use “the” if a country has a political title in its name, or if it refers a group of islands. There are also countries, such as the Netherlands, which people commonly attach the definite article to even though it does not follow the two rules above.
Why do we use before Punjab?
Answer: Punjab means five rivers so we always use “the” before Punjab. As it conveys a sense of plural, it could justify an article. As a rule of thumb, you could theorise that when several entities are grouped together, an implicit plural is present in the place name, so we say The Punjab not Punjab.
Why do we call the USA America?
While the colonies may have established it, “America” was given a name long before. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.
What is the article before USA?
The article used before USA is the . We pronounce it as The USA.
Is it correct to say the US?
In American and Canadian English, U.S. (with periods) is the dominant abbreviation for United States. US (without periods) is more common in most other national forms of English. Some major American guides to style, such as The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.), now deprecate U.S. and prefer US.
Can we write the USA?
US and U.S.
Both of these abbreviations can be correct. The difference between them (whether to use periods or not) is just a matter of style. The Associated Press Stylebook prefers the abbreviation U.S. with periods. However, the Chicago Manual of Style prefers US without periods.
How do you write USA?
In formal writing, spell out the two words as “United States,” as in the example below. This is always appropriate. The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is charged with representing the United States during meetings of the General Assembly.
Can we use the before Sri Lanka?
We do not use ‘the’ with the names of countries. So, ‘the’ will not be used before India, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia.
Why we use the before Philippines?
It’s not islands but plurals (the Comoros, the Netherlands, the Philippines) and it’s not “of” but common nouns describing the kind of country (state, republic, kingdom, commonwealth, principality, Grand Duchy, etc.) It’s the plural that gives some islands the “the”.
Which article is used with Europe?
A European is correct. You should use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an” before words that start with a vowel sound.
Do we use the before countries?
Geographical Use of the Definite Article (The) With Country Names. Typically, the article the is not used before the names of countries and territories: Our flight to the China was canceled. Our flight to China was canceled.
Can we use the before Punjab?
“The” cannot be used before “Punjab” because it is a proper noun. Therefore it is “I live in Punjab”, but u could say ” The punjab lions ” because here punjab lions is a possesive noun.