# Grammar: making a list of mountains

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674 "2017-07-19T21:04:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674/1 "2017-07-19T21:04:24Z")

</div>

When you make a list of doctors by name, you generally don’t put “Doctor” before each name, you just write it once (in plural form) at the start of the list:

“Doctors Olsen, Johnson, and Torsten”

Should you do the same for a list of mountains, as:

“Mounts Everest, Elbrus, and Vesuvius”

or do you need to put “Mount” before each specific name?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674/2 "2017-07-19T21:11:26Z")

</div>

It’s not really a grammar question, but an issue of style. I don’t see anything wrong with the “Mounts Everest, Elbrus, and Vesuvius”. If whatever style guide you’re using, if you’re using one, doesn’t specify, I think you’re good.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674/3 "2017-07-19T21:13:19Z")

</div>

Not every mountain has “mount” or “mountain” in front of it so not sure how it would apply.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674/4 "2017-07-19T21:25:07Z")

</div>

> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> It’s not really a grammar question, but an issue of style. I don’t see anything wrong with the “Mounts Everest, Elbrus, and Vesuvius”. If whatever style guide you’re using, if you’re using one, doesn’t specify, I think you’re good.

The Chicago Manual of Style gives an example of Mounts Washington and Rainier, so they are fine with it.

> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> Not every mountain has “mount” or “mountain” in front of it so not sure how it would apply.

In such a case you might list the “Mounts” together and then those with names that don’t include “Mount”: Annapurna, Denali, the Matterhorn, the Eiger, Pikes Peak.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-making-a-list-of-mountains/791674/5 "2017-07-20T00:14:54Z")

</div>

> [@Colibri](#):
>
> In such a case you might list the “Mounts” together and then those with names that don’t include “Mount”: Annapurna, Denali, the Matterhorn, the Eiger, Pikes Peak.

I’d probably go the other direction, so it can be, for instance, “Annapurna, Denalie, the Matterhorn, and Mounts Everest, Elbrus, and Vesuvius.”