§ 2. National orientating names

The use of articles with national orientating names is extremely varied though the general tendency is towards dropping the definite article, especially with popular orientating names, i.e. which denote orientating points connected with the activity of the general public, its tastes and educational level. This tendency reveals itself in different ways with various groups of national orientating names:

• names of social systems (1);

• names in the sphere of business (2);

• names in the sphere of government (3);

• names in the sphere of mass media (4).

1. Names of social systems.

a) No article is used with names of languages (systems of sound symbols) and dialects when they have no common noun, e.g. English, cockney, Welsh, American English. The definite article is used in the pattern with common nouns, e.g. the English language.

Note: 1. The definite article is used with names of languages to denote concrete stretches of speech:

E.g. I showed them my US permit, which they examined quizzically unable to read the English (RD). 2. The indefinite article is used to show how the system of a language is realized by individuals: e.g. He had learned to speak a halting English (Conan Doyle).

b) No article is found with names of social, economic, religious teachings when they are used in a general sense, e.g. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism; Communism, Capitalism. 2. Orientating names in the sphere of business:

a) no article is used with popular names of agents of activity;

• companies (Sealink, Mitsubishi, Petroleum)

• film companies and studios {Columbia Pictures).

The definite article is kept in the official names of corporations having a common noun - the National Bus Company.

Note: No article is found with names of hotels if they are used to denote companies, i.e. agents of activity:

e.g. Savoy Hotel yesterday firmly denied a newspaper report that a secret agreement has been reached with Forte, the rival hotel group (FT).

The same rule is applied to the noun 'underground': e.g. Immediately _t.after the fire, London Underground rigorously banned smoking throughout the network (RD).

b) No article is used with names of the, components of business activity:

• trade marks (Scrable);

• brand names (Guinness);

• makes of cars (Jaguar).

Note: The indefinite article is found with trade marks to denote one item:

e.g. I wanted an Aston Martin (B-Today).

3. Orientating names in the sphere of government.

1. The definite article is usually found with the names of official state organisations (The National Council for Children, the Public Record Office, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Bank of England, etc.).

2. No article is used with names of separate bodies in the sphere of government:

- with the names of Congress (USA) and Parliament (UK);

Note: Occasionally no article is found with names of parliaments of other countries, e.g. Grachev is himself under criticism from parliament, accused of failing to improve conditions (RD).

- with names of parties in the pattern 'to vote Conservative' and with the popular name of the Labour Party - Labour:

e.g. She feels that most people who vote SLD do so as a protest against the two main parties (B-Today).

- with the name 'police' either definite or no article is used:

e.g. Throughout that afternoon police evacuated 250 people from houses and danger zone (RD).

- no article is used with the orientating names 'Scotland Yard' and 'Interpol':

e.g. Meanwhile Interpol. is investigating the application of the carabineri's computer system (RD).

- no article is found with names of components of activity - names of operations,

e.g. In 1984 the parks department set up Operation Stronghold to defend the rhino (RD).

4. Orientating names in the sphere of mass media.

1. No article is found with names of popular TV and radio channels (companies) - BBC I, Granada Television, Television South, BBC World Service, etc., though the definite article is kept in the official name of the BBC.

2. No article is used with names of popular magazines, e.g. Vogue, Time, New Society, Punch, Private Eye, etc.

3. The definite article is kept with names of quantity newspapers (The Times) and specialized periodicals (The Field, The Lancet,The Motor, The Listener, The Economist) where it is used in the generic function.

Note: The indefinite article denotes a copy of a newspaper or magazine, e.g. She drank a glass of wine and read a Newsweek (J.Grisham).

d) Names of foreign newspapers keep the article of the original language if any:

e.g. The semi-official Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram ... The Roman newspaper II Messengero ... The French newspaper Le Monde... Consequently the names of Ukrainian and Russian newspapers have no article in English because these languages have no articles, e.g. A poll in Den, a newspaper in Kiev... (The Economist)