[Grammar] I am a student at -/the Moscow State University.

[englishhobby]

Should THE or no article be used before names of institutions? I read somewhere that if the name of the institution begins with a proper noun, no article is used. Is it always the case?

Is there a definite article in the following exchange:
- What's this (building)?
- It's ___ Leeds University.
:?:

 

[5jj]

It's Leeds University.
It's the University of Leeds.

 

[konungursvia]

It sometimes depends on the institution as well, since some institutions treat themselves as proper nouns per se. Moscow State University has no article. CIA has none either, when you work there (so they say). However, 5jj's rule describes the vast majority of cases. I don't even know why I bothered with such a rare sort of observation.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Should THE or no article be used before names of institutions? I read somewhere that if the name of the institution begins with a proper noun, no article is used. Is it always the case?

Is there a definite article in the following exchange:
- What's this (building)?
- It's ___ Leeds University.
:?:

I agree that is up to the institution. Most do not include "The" in their titles, but some do. Two that I know personally are "The Ohio State University" and "The Wharton School" (University of Pennsylvania).

 

[Tdol]

I agree that is up to the institution. Most do not include "The" in their titles, but some do. Two that I know personally are "The Ohio State University" and "The Wharton School" (University of Pennsylvania).

That's like Tate Britain, which has decided to be a museum that doesn't use the article- it's unfair on learners. ;-)

 

[englishhobby]

That's like Tate Britain, which has decided to be a museum that doesn't use the article- it's unfair on learners. ;-)

Why, now learners will be paying attention to the fact that articles should be used with museums.) And one more exception won't change a lot as English is already made up of exceptions.))

 

[englishhobby]

I agree that is up to the institution. Most do not include "The" in their titles, but some do. Two that I know personally are "The Ohio State University" and "The Wharton School" (University of Pennsylvania).

I read in Michael Swan's Grammar that larger institutions do not use an article before their title if their title begins with the name of the city/town while smaller or less important ones sometimes choose to have a definite article. I thought it was a bit unusual explanation.
Your example does not illustrate this explanation.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I read in Michael Swan's Grammar that larger institutions do not use an article before their title if their title begins with the name of the city/town while smaller or less important ones sometimes choose to have a definite article. I thought it was a bit unusual explanation.
Your example does not illustrate this explanation.

I think Michael Swan is mostly correct, but there are exceptions.