Should you put "the" before names of roads?

[5jj]

Not so in BrE. We always use the full name. e.g. "Leave Manchester by Deansgate, onto Liverpool Road, left onto Tootil Drive, left onto Eccles New Road then straight on down Eccles Old Road until you reach the M602."

I agree with Buggles.

However, we would use an article before 'Liverpool' in Buggles's example if the road actually led to Liverpool.

If the road both led to Liverpool and were called 'Liverpool Road', then we would have free choice.

[Kengo]

However, we would use an article before 'Liverpool' in Buggles's example if the road actually led to Liverpool.

If the road both led to Liverpool and were called 'Liverpool Road', then we would have free choice.

Hello fivejedjon, thanks for your response.

I didn't understand how it works. What's the key...?

[5jj]

Hello fivejedjon, thanks for your response.

I didn't understand how it works. What's the key...?

Sorry, the key is simply knowing (because you live there).

If you see on a street map that the name is 'Liverpool Road', then call it just that, without 'the'. If you hear somebody refer to it as 'the Liverpool Road', then you can infer that it leads to Liverpool.

Please don't worry about this. I mentioned it only because you might have thought that you understood the system, and then heard something that seemed to make nonsense of it. Just accept that local knowledge may enable local speakers apparently to break the rules.

[buggles]

Hi Kengo,

In the UK the name we use for your "loop-lines" is "ring roads" and we too have "outer ring roads" and "inner ring roads" but usually only around major cities. So Manchester has the M60 as a ring road and London has the M25. We always use "the" for these just as we do for all numbered roads like the A57 or the B6026 and so on.
Ring roads are sometimes referred to as "orbital roads" or just "orbitals".
e.g. "Head north out of Manchester till you reach the M60 orbital, head west around it and leave at exit 10."

[Kengo]

Hi fivejedjon and buggles,

fivejedjon, I read your posts again and again... and I think I understand now.
So, if the proper name of the road is "Liverpool Road" like someone in authority has officially named it "Liverpool Road", that road should be called just "Liverpool Road" without the article.
When talking about some other road that actually leads to Liverpool, you may call it "the Liverpool Road" while it may have some other name... right?
Also, when driving to Liverpool and the road choice doesn't really matter, you could say "Take a Liverpool Road" as well...??

buggles, I'm glad you understood my "loop-line" explanation and came up with the "Ring road". Your examples help me get a better view of the concept.

[5jj]

So, if the proper name of the road is "Liverpool Road" [...], that road should be called just "Liverpool Road" without the article. Yes
When talking about some other road that actually leads to Liverpool, you may call it "the Liverpool Road" while it may have some other name... right? Yes
Also, when driving to Liverpool and the road choice doesn't really matter, you could say "Take a Liverpool Road" as well...??
??. It's possible, I suppose. I think we'd be more likely to say, "Take a road to Liverpool" or "Take one of the Liverpool roads" or "Take one of the roads to Liverpool".

5

[Kengo]

Thank you fivejedjon!!

I think I've managed to dig pretty deep despite your advice not to worry but I feel nice and clear now.

Everyone here, thanks for all the information.

[Tdol]

A couple of Roman roads also take the definite article- the Fosse Way, the Appian Way.