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Believer Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
A sentence discrepancy and the other
1. I was looking at the word "design" for its usage in the Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary and the dictionary had this definition and an example of its usage. What baffles me is why the example has the article "a" when that article is usually reserved for a countable noun, as far as I know. Help.
Design: an uncountable noun
The design of something is the way in which it has been planned and made usually with suppliement.
a new design of clock.
2. I think you have covered this area of grammar several times before, can you tell me why the person would use the artlcle "a" in front of the word "director" when the article "the" or no article seems to be appropriate?
He is a director of ZZ Certificate Program.
Design: an uncountable noun
The design of something is the way in which it has been planned and made usually with suppliement.
a new design of clock.
2. I think you have covered this area of grammar several times before, can you tell me why the person would use the artlcle "a" in front of the word "director" when the article "the" or no article seems to be appropriate?
He is a director of ZZ Certificate Program.
Top answer
1-- A new design of clock -- here, design is countable: one clock design, another clock design, three clock designs . 2-- There can be more than one director of a program or organization. Corporations have entire boards of directors.
- 1-- A new design of clock -- here, design is countable: one clock design, another clock design, three clock designs .
- 2-- There can be more than one director of a program or organization.
- Corporations have entire boards of directors.
- However, I would think there should be the before ZZ , since it is a specific program.
- He is a director of the ZZ Program .
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4 Answers
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1-- A new design of clock -- here, design is countable: one clock design, another clock design, three clock designs.
2-- There can be more than one director of a program or organization. Corporations have entire boards of directors. However, I would think there should be the before ZZ, since it is a specific program. He is a director
2-- There can be more than one director of a program or organization. Corporations have entire boards of directors. However, I would think there should be the before ZZ, since it is a specific program. He is a director
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Thank you.
Can the same reasoning be applied here for the italicized proper noun? A specific one. Or the article is accorded since the event is considered a very important event by some psople? The whole proper name couldn't be with the determiner "the" or could it?
... that blamed Chinese textbooks for white-washing the savagery of the Boxer Rebellion, the violent
Can the same reasoning be applied here for the italicized proper noun? A specific one. Or the article is accorded since the event is considered a very important event by some psople? The whole proper name couldn't be with the determiner "the" or could it?
... that blamed Chinese textbooks for white-washing the savagery of the Boxer Rebellion, the violent
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That's an interesting one.
"the Boxer Rebellion" is best.
On the other hand, you would write, "...the savagery of World War II" yet "...the savagery of the Crimean War."
It's not the importance of the event that counts.
"the Boxer Rebellion" is best.
On the other hand, you would write, "...the savagery of World War II" yet "...the savagery of the Crimean War."
It's not the importance of the event that counts.
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The definite article appears before a host of singular proper nouns:
The Meiji Era, the University of Chicago, the Roman Catholic church, the Peloponnesian Wars, the Ford Motor Company, the Monroe Doctrine, the Panama Canal, the Hawaiian Islands, the Matterhorn, the Philippines, the Empire State Building, The New York Times
No article is used before a host of others:
The Meiji Era, the University of Chicago, the Roman Catholic church, the Peloponnesian Wars, the Ford Motor Company, the Monroe Doctrine, the Panama Canal, the Hawaiian Islands, the Matterhorn, the Philippines, the Empire State Building, The New York Times
No article is used before a host of others:
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