articles / Articles with Personal Names

ARTICLES WITH PERSONAL NAMES

No	Rule	Article	Examples
I.	Proper names without attributes 1) basic rule 2) a number of people of the same name (family) 3) a representative of a family	no article the a	Laura and Linda exchanged concerned glances. The Marchmains have lived apart since the war. - How did you know I was a Rush?
II.	When specified by a limiting attribute, the situation or context	the	I had changed from the Lallie he had known in autumn.
III.	When modified by descriptive attributes: 1) permanent or temporary quality (familiar information) 2) unusual aspect (new information) 3) old, young, poor, dear, honest, lazy, little, simple 4) certain (also implied)	the a no article a	She had become the calm and confident Bo again. This is a Rowley she had never known existed. - You don’t approve of poor Thornton? There was a certain Lord Henry there. I learned all this from a Mr Smith.
IV.	Noun + proper name BUT: rank/title/family relationship + proper name	the no article	the playwright Shaw; the girl Megan; the dog Pirate; Captain Nichols; Professor Jones; Aunt Polly
V.	Proper names used as common nouns (see the rules for articles with countable nouns)	a, the, no article	They drove out in an old Ford. I know I’m not unusual. I am not a Helen of Troy or a Cleopatra.
VI.	Names of family relations are treated as proper names by members of the family	no article	Mother is still resting.