B1 · Geographical Objects – Articles & Pronouns

Vocabulary: Geographical Objects & Landscapes

B1 Focus: These words form the context for the grammar in this lesson. As you learn each term, notice whether it takes the, a/an, or no article — geographical names follow strict patterns covered in Grammar Lab.

Mountains & Elevation (Планини и висини)

Mountain range/ˈmaʊn.tɪn reɪndʒ/Планинска верига

Peak/piːk/Връх (планински)

Summit/ˈsʌm.ɪt/Връх, най-висока точка

Valley/ˈvæl.i/Долина

Plateau/ˈplæt.əʊ/Плато

Glacier/ˈɡlæs.i.ər/Ледник

Volcano/vɒlˈkeɪ.nəʊ/Вулкан

Water & Coastline (Вода и крайбрежие)

Peninsula/pəˈnɪn.sjʊ.lə/Полуостров

Strait/streɪt/Проток

Gulf/ɡʌlf/Залив

Archipelago/ˌɑː.kɪˈpel.ə.ɡəʊ/Архипелаг, група острови

Tributary/ˈtrɪb.jʊ.tər.i/Приток (на река)

Estuary/ˈes.tʃu.ər.i/Естуар, речно устие

Cape/keɪp/Нос (географски)

Land & Territory (Суша и територия)

Border/ˈbɔː.dər/Граница

Territory/ˈter.ɪ.tər.i/Територия

Jurisdiction/ˌdʒʊər.ɪsˈdɪk.ʃən/Юрисдикция

Landmark/ˈlænd.mɑːk/Забележителност, ориентир

Continent/ˈkɒn.tɪ.nənt/Континент

Inhabited/ɪnˈhæb.ɪ.tɪd/Населен

Permanent resident/ˈpɜː.mə.nənt ˈrez.ɪ.dənt/Постоянен жител

Key Verbs for Geography (Ключови глаголи)

Border (v.)/ˈbɔː.dər/Граничи с

Span (v.)/spæn/Простира се, обхваща

Stretch (v.)/stretʃ/Простира се, разтяга се

Overlook (v.)/ˌəʊ.vəˈlʊk/Гледа към, надвишава

Separate (v.)/ˈsep.ər.eɪt/Разделя, отделя

Influence (v.)/ˈɪn.flu.əns/Влияя на

Grammar Lab: Articles & Pronouns

Key concept: This lab covers two interconnected areas. Section 1 focuses on articles with geographical names — when to use the, a/an, or no article. Sections 2–6 cover pronoun types: in English, every sentence needs a subject, and the choice of pronoun signals whether something is near or far, mutual or one-sided, specific or general.

1. Articles with Geographical Names

English article use with place names is not random — there are clear patterns. The main question is: Does this name behave like a unique title or like a description?

Category	Article	Examples
Continents	∅ (no article)	∅ Europe, ∅ Asia, ∅ Africa
Countries (most)	∅	∅ Bulgaria, ∅ France, ∅ Japan
Countries with republic/kingdom/states in name	the	the United Kingdom, the United States, the Czech Republic
Cities & towns	∅	∅ Plovdiv, ∅ London, ∅ Cairo
Individual mountains	∅ (with Mount/Peak)	∅ Mount Everest, ∅ Ben Nevis
Mountain ranges & groups	the	the Alps, the Himalayas, the Andes, the Balkans
Individual islands	∅	∅ Sicily, ∅ Iceland, ∅ Crete
Island groups / archipelagos	the	the Canary Islands, the Maldives, the Azores
Rivers, canals, seas, oceans	the	the Amazon, the Nile, the Black Sea, the Pacific
Lakes	∅ (with Lake)	∅ Lake Ohrid, ∅ Lake Superior
Deserts, peninsulas, regions	the	the Sahara, the Iberian Peninsula, the Middle East
Poles & unique geo features	the	the North Pole, the Equator, the Strait of Gibraltar

Key pattern to remember: Names that are plural, contain a common noun (Sea, Ocean, River, Range, Desert…), or describe a group almost always take the. Names that stand alone as a unique title — continents, most countries, cities, individual mountains — take no article.

📝 Easy: Choose the or ∅ (no article). Select "—" for no article.

1. ___ Amazon is the longest river in South America.

2. ___ Mount Everest is the highest peak on Earth.

3. ___ Canary Islands belong to Spain.

4. ___ United Kingdom is made up of four countries.

5. She grew up in ___ Bulgaria but now lives in ___ Netherlands.

🎯 Hard: Write the or leave blank (∅) for each gap. Some sentences have two gaps.

1. ___ Alps stretch across eight countries, separating ___ Italy from central Europe.

2. ___ Lake Ohrid, which lies on the border of North Macedonia and ___ Albania, is one of Europe's oldest lakes.

3. ___ Sahara covers most of ___ North Africa and is the world's largest hot desert.

4. ___ Black Sea and ___ Aegean Sea are both warmer than the North Sea in summer.

5. Explorers crossed ___ Pacific long before ___ Antarctica was discovered.

2. Dummy Pronouns: The "Empty" It and There

English requires every sentence to have a subject. When there is no real subject — no person, no thing — we use dummy pronouns as placeholders. They carry no meaning; they just fill the subject slot.

Dummy IT → for weather conditions, temperature, distance, and time in geographical contexts:
It is 500 kilometres to the border. (distance)
It is foggy in the mountains. (weather)
It gets dark very early at this latitude. (light conditions)

THERE IS / THERE ARE → to state the existence of a geographical feature:
There are several active volcanoes in Iceland.
There is a large plateau in the centre of the country.

⚠️ There is vs It is: There introduces something new; it describes a condition or refers back to something already mentioned.

✗ Is foggy in the mountains today.
✗ Is 500 km to the border.

English cannot omit the subject, even when it carries no meaning.

✓ It is foggy in the mountains today.
✓ It is 500 km to the border.
✓ There is a plateau beyond the ridge.

📝 Easy: Fill in It or There.

1. ___ is approximately 2,500 kilometres from Plovdiv to London.

2. ___ are three active volcanoes on the island.

3. ___ is extremely cold at night in the Atacama Desert.

4. ___ is a deep gorge running through the centre of the national park.

5. ___ gets dark very quickly near the Equator — barely any twilight.

🎯 Hard: Correct the error or complete the sentence. Write the full opening (It is / There is / There are).

1. "Is a long river crossing the whole continent." → Correct:

2. "There is foggy near the lake this morning." → Correct:

3. ___ several tributaries feeding into the main river before it reaches the estuary.

4. ___ about 800 kilometres from the capital to the northern coast.

5. "There is very windy on the plateau." → Correct:

3. Demonstrative Pronouns: Near and Far

Demonstrative pronouns point to something — they tell us whether it is near the speaker or far away, and whether it is singular or plural.

In geography, they help locate features relative to the speaker's position on the map or in the landscape.

Near the speaker

This + singular: This lake in front of us is Lake Ohrid.
These + plural: These mountains behind us are the Rhodopes.
Near = close in space or concept: This map I am holding…

Far from the speaker

That + singular: That peak on the horizon is Mount Musala.
Those + plural: Those islands far to the south belong to Greece.
Far = distant in space or a previous idea: That decision was wrong.

📝 Easy: Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun.

1. Look at ___ peaks on the horizon — they must be at least 4,000 metres high.

2. ___ map in my hand is from 1990 and completely outdated.

3. ___ islands far to the south are the Cyclades.

4. ___ valley below us looks perfect for camping.

5. ___ geological formations surrounding us were created by volcanic activity.

🎯 Hard: Write the correct demonstrative pronoun AND explain why (near/far, singular/plural).

1. "Look at ___ glacier right beneath us — we could almost touch it." → Write the pronoun:

2. "Can you see ___ distant mountain ranges? They appear blue from here." → Write the pronoun:

3. "___ border crossing next to the road is where we will enter the country." → Write the pronoun:

4. "___ tributaries here on the map feed into the Danube Delta." → Write the pronoun:

5. "Can you see ___ volcano directly above us? It is still active." → Write the pronoun:

4. Reciprocal Pronouns: Mutual Relationships Between Places

When two or more geographical entities have a mutual or shared relationship — they do something to each other — we use reciprocal pronouns. These avoid repetition and express the relationship more precisely.

Each other → typically for two countries, regions, or entities:
Bulgaria and Greece border each other.
The two mountain ranges overlook each other across the valley.

One another → typically for more than two entities:
The Balkan countries have influenced one another for centuries.
The five Great Lakes are connected to one another by rivers and canals.

⚠️ In modern English, many speakers use each other for both two and more than two. In formal writing, the distinction above is preferred.

📝 Easy: Fill in each other or one another.

1. France and Spain border ___; the Pyrenees form a natural wall between them.

2. The six Balkan countries have influenced ___ through centuries of shared history.

3. Norway and Sweden share a border and have traded with ___ for over a thousand years.

4. The seven continents are separated from ___ by vast oceans.

5. Italy and Switzerland share the Alps and have traded with ___ for centuries.

🎯 Hard: Rewrite the sentence using a reciprocal pronoun so you don't repeat the subjects.

1. "Portugal borders Spain, and Spain borders Portugal." → Use one sentence with each other:

2. The sentence uses "one another" — what does this tell us about the number of countries involved?

3. "The Balkan countries have influenced ___ for centuries." → Write the correct reciprocal pronoun:

4. "Turkey and Greece have long influenced ___." (two countries → correct form)

5. "Romania and Bulgaria border ___." (two countries → write the full phrase)

5. Interrogative Pronouns: Asking About Geography

These pronouns introduce questions. The choice reveals what kind of information you expect in the answer.

Which → limited choice (you know the options exist):
Which of these two rivers is longer: the Nile or the Amazon?

What → open question, no limited set of options:
What is the capital of Peru?
What kind of climate does Iceland have?

Whose → asks about ownership, territory, or belonging:
Whose jurisdiction does this coastal water fall under?
Whose border does the river cross?

Pronoun	Use	Geographical example
Which	Limited set of options	Which ocean is larger: the Pacific or the Atlantic?
What	Open, no set options	What is the highest mountain in Africa?
Whose	Ownership / territory	Whose territory does this uninhabited island belong to?

📝 Easy: Choose Which, What, or Whose.

1. ___ is the longest river in Europe?

2. ___ of these two straits is wider: the Strait of Gibraltar or the Bosphorus?

3. ___ territory does this tiny uninhabited island belong to?

4. ___ continent has the most countries?

5. ___ of the two poles is colder: the North or the South?

🎯 Hard: Write the correct interrogative pronoun.

1. ___ mountain range separates Europe from Asia?

2. ___ borders does the Amazon cross before it reaches the Atlantic?

3. ___ of the five Great Lakes is the largest?

4. ___ country has the most active volcanoes per square kilometre?

5. ___ coastline was most severely damaged by the tsunami?

6. Distributive Pronouns: Members of a Geographical Group

Distributive pronouns talk about members of a group individually. This is crucial in geography because the pronoun you choose changes the verb agreement.

Each / Every → all members, considered one by one → always singular verb:
Each of the seven continents has a unique climate.
Every country in the EU shares certain regulations.

Either / Neither → for exactly two options → singular verb:
Either of the two routes is possible — both lead to the summit.
Neither of the two poles is permanently inhabited.

Both → two together → plural verb:
Both the Atlantic and the Pacific are vast oceans.
Both peaks are over 4,000 metres.

Each / Every → singular verb

Each continent has its own fauna.
Every island in the archipelago was formed volcanically.
Note: each can follow the noun: The islands each have…

Either / Neither → singular verb

Either route leads to the pass.
Neither pole is inhabited permanently.
Neither = not one and not the other (negative meaning, no extra not).

Both → plural verb

Both oceans are warming.
Both countries share the same river.
Both = the two together, not separately.

📝 Easy: Choose the correct distributive pronoun.

1. ___ of the two peaks is higher than 4,500 metres — it's hard to tell from here.

2. ___ the Atlantic and the Pacific are larger than the Indian Ocean.

3. ___ of the seven continents has its own distinct tectonic history.

4. ___ of these two routes will take you to the pass — take whichever you prefer.

5. ___ country in the Schengen Area has agreed to open its borders.

🎯 Hard: Write the correct distributive pronoun AND the correct verb form.

1. ___ of the two rivers flows into the Black Sea — one goes to the Mediterranean. (not one, not the other)

2. ___ the Nile and the Amazon ___ (be) among the longest rivers on Earth.

3. ___ island in the archipelago ___ (have) a unique microclimate. (one by one, total group)

4. "___ of the two poles are permanently inhabited." → Find and correct the error:

5. ___ the Andes and the Rockies ___ (be) among the longest mountain ranges on Earth.

Active to Passive Voice

B1 Practice: Put the verb in brackets into the correct passive form. Each exercise focuses on different tenses and structures. Where more than one tense is grammatically possible, both are accepted.

📝 Exercise 1 — Present & Past Simple Passive

1. The border ___ (draw) at the river's centre in 1878.

2. This coastline ___ (affect) by erosion every single year.

3. The ancient route ___ (use) by traders for hundreds of years.

4. Both peaks ___ (photograph) thousands of times each year by tourists.

5. The valley ___ (flood) by the river every spring when the snow melts.

6. Each island in the archipelago ___ (name) after an early settler.

7. The Rhodopes ___ (protect) under environmental law in 1991.

8. Rare minerals ___ (find) in the valley each time geologists survey it.

9. The first settlements ___ (build) near the river for access to fresh water.

10. The new boundary ___ (mark) on all official maps after the agreement.

📝 Exercise 2 — Present Perfect & Past Perfect Passive

1. This landmark ___ (protect) by UNESCO since 1979.

2. The summit ___ (already / reach) before the rescue team arrived.

3. Both glaciers ___ (study) by climate scientists for over thirty years.

4. The old pass ___ (block) by a rockfall before the expedition set out.

5. A dozen new species ___ (discover) in the rainforest since 2000.

6. The border agreement ___ (sign) before the foreign ministers left.

7. The peninsula ___ (erode) significantly by the sea in recent decades.

8. The ancient maps ___ (lose) long before the modern survey began.

9. Three new national parks ___ (establish) in the mountain region since 2015.

10. All the passes ___ (close) by the time the storm reached the valley.

🎯 Exercise 3 — Continuous & Modal Passive

1. Two new ferry routes ___ (currently / plan) across the strait.

2. The glacier was receding while the base camp ___ (set up) by the team.

3. New satellite data ___ (still / process) by the research team at the moment.

4. The new road ___ (build) through the gorge when the landslide occurred.

5. New maps of the plateau ___ (currently / produce) by the survey team.

6. This territory ___ (must / protect) under international law.

7. The river ___ (should / monitor) more carefully for pollution.

8. The exact boundary ___ (can / draw) only after further surveys.

9. Rare birds ___ (might / see) in the wetlands during the migration season.

10. The route ___ (may / use) again once the bridge is repaired.

🎯 Exercise 4 — Active to Passive Transformation
Rewrite the underlined active verb as a passive. Keep the same tense. Type only the passive verb phrase.

1. "Explorers discovered this route in 1823." → Passive verb:

2. "Scientists are currently studying the glacier." → Passive verb:

3. "UNESCO had already listed the site before the earthquake." → Passive verb:

4. "The government will protect this forest." → Passive verb:

5. "Tourists photograph these mountains thousands of times each year." → Passive verb:

6. "The sea has eroded the peninsula for thousands of years." → Passive verb:

7. "Both governments confirmed the border in 1947." → Passive verb:

8. "Geologists were mapping the plateau when we arrived." → Passive verb:

9. "The survey team had completed the report before the deadline." → Passive verb:

10. "People have visited this landmark for centuries." → Passive verb:

🎯 Exercise 5 — Mixed Passive Tenses
Choose the correct passive tense from context clues in each sentence.

1. The strait ___ (first / cross) by boat around 3,000 years ago.

2. New weather stations ___ (install) on three summits right now.

3. The territory ___ (dispute) by both countries since the 19th century.

4. The ancient city ___ (abandon) long before archaeologists found it.

5. Both rivers ___ (monitor) for pollution levels every month.

6. The base camp ___ (set up) when the storm suddenly hit.

7. This cave system ___ (not / fully / explore) yet — large sections remain unmapped.

8. The gorge ___ (carve) by glacial meltwater over thousands of years.

9. The agreement ___ (reach) after the observers confirmed the boundary.

10. The plateau ___ (cover) by a shallow sea millions of years ago.

Cloze Text: A Journey Through the Balkans

Task: Read the text and select the correct pronoun in each gap. Think about what the pronoun refers to — is it singular or plural? Near or far? Two things or more than two?

Key Word Transformation (KWT)

B1 Exam Skill: Rewrite the second sentence so it has the same meaning as the first, using the KEY WORD given. Do not change the key word. Use between 2–5 words.

Exercises

Practice: These exercises consolidate all six pronoun types from this lesson. Work through each set systematically.

Tense Writing: Geography in Context

Task: Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. All tenses are mixed across each exercise. Where more than one tense is grammatically correct, both answers are accepted.

📝 Exercise 1

1. The Amazon ___ (flow) through nine countries before it reaches the Atlantic.

2. When the explorers reached the summit, it ___ (snow) for two days without stopping.

3. The border ___ (draw) at the river's centre — both countries agreed to this line in 1878.

4. This landmark ___ (protect) by UNESCO since 1979.

5. It ___ (get) very cold at night in these mountain valleys — bring warm clothes.

6. Three new national parks ___ (currently / establish) in the mountain region.

7. By the time they reached the valley, those storm clouds ___ (already / pass).

8. Bulgaria and Greece ___ (border) each other along the Rhodope mountain range.

9. The peninsula ___ (gradually / erode) by the sea since the last ice age.

10. There ___ (be) hundreds of islands in the Greek archipelago.

📝 Exercise 2

1. Each of the seven continents ___ (have) a distinct tectonic history.

2. Those glaciers ___ (cover) the entire valley 20,000 years ago.

3. Both peaks ___ (photograph) thousands of times a year by tourists visiting the national park.

4. The Balkan countries ___ (influence) one another throughout centuries of shared history.

5. It ___ (be) impossible to cross the strait in those small boats during the storm.

6. Two new ferry routes ___ (currently / plan) across the strait by the transport ministry.

7. There ___ (be) a large freshwater lake here before it dried up completely.

8. Neither of the two proposed borders ___ (satisfy) both countries in the 19th century.

9. The ancient trade route ___ (use) for centuries before the railway replaced it.

10. This glacier ___ (retreat) noticeably every year due to rising temperatures.

🎯 Exercise 3

1. By the time the survey was complete, each geologist ___ (map) a different section of the plateau.

2. Which of the two rivers ___ (not / yet / fully / explore) by geographers?

3. It ___ (be) approximately 1,800 kilometres from Sofia to Paris by road.

4. Both borders ___ (already / demarcate) before the international observers arrived.

5. The valley where we camped ___ (flood) every spring when the snowmelt begins.

6. Neither the northern route nor the southern route ___ (consider) safe when we set out.

7. Those islands ___ (separate) from the mainland long before humans first arrived here.

8. The Balkan countries ___ (not / always / agree) with one another despite their shared geography.

9. Both the Black Sea and the Aegean ___ (be) warmer than the North Sea in summer.

10. The new weather station ___ (install) on the summit when the storm suddenly hit.

🎯 Exercise 4

1. There ___ (be) no reliable maps of the interior when the first explorers arrived.

2. The strait ___ (first / cross) by boat around 3,000 years ago, according to archaeologists.

3. It ___ (be) foggy in the valley below ever since we arrived at the summit yesterday.

4. The Canary Islands ___ (visit) by millions of tourists every year; they are Spain's most popular destination.

5. Each of the ancient civilisations ___ (develop) alongside a major river system.

6. The new border road ___ (build) through the gorge when the landslide occurred last winter.

7. This cave system ___ (not / fully / explore) yet — large sections are still unmapped.

8. Which mountain ___ (be) the first to be climbed by a Bulgarian team?

9. Neither of the two proposed roads ___ (build) yet — funding is still being discussed.

10. The two mountain ranges ___ (separate) the east from the west before the mountain passes were built.

🎯 Exercise 5

1. Whose coastline ___ (most / affect) by rising sea levels over the next century?

2. Each of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World ___ (locate) near a major river or sea.

3. Both the Andes and the Himalayas ___ (form) by tectonic plate collisions millions of years ago.

4. The ancient city ___ (already / abandon) long before archaeologists found it in 1920.

5. Both rivers ___ (monitor) for pollution levels every month by the environmental agency.

6. There ___ (be) a time when this entire plateau was covered by a shallow sea.

7. The gorge ___ (carve) by glacial meltwater over thousands of years — it is still deepening today.

8. Each of the countries in the union ___ (agree) to share its geographical data — the decision was made last month.

9. Those mountains in the distance ___ (not / cross) by any road until the 20th century.

10. Which of the two straits ___ (be) the most strategically important throughout history?