Proper name Los Angeles Stadium?

Question

Hi. Could we have a situation where we could put the indefinite article "a" or the definite article "the" in front of the names of stadiums like "Los Angeles Stadium"(Is there one?)? (Anyway, Is there a stadium named "Los Angeles Stadium???) Why I see names in small letter for the word "stadium" like "Los Angeles stadium"? Do they mean the same?

eg,

He played/was at (the?) Los Angeles Stadium.

(The??) Los Angeles Stadium has/is ...

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Could we have a situation where we could put the indefinite article "a" or the definite article "the" in front of the names of stadiums like "Los Angeles Stadium"

(Is there one?)? (Anyway, Is there a stadium named "Los Angeles Stadium???) Apparently, one is being built. See here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Stadium

Why I see names in small letter for the word "stadium" like "Los Angeles stadium"? Do they mean the same?

eg,

He played/was at (the?) Los Angeles Stadium.

(The??) Los Angeles Stadium has/is ...

I went to the Toronto stadium yesterday. This means that I went to the stadium that is in Toronto. We are not referring to it by name. Its name could be anything.

I went to Toronto Stadium yesterday. This means that the name of the Stadium is "Toronto Stadium".

These two sentences are very similar, particularly when they are spoken. So, people are often a little careless about using or not using the article 'the'.

The difficulty basically arises from taking a common noun like 'stadium' and making it part of a proper name.

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. If I chose to put the adjective before what I think is the proper name "Los Angles Stadium," do you think we would have to put any English article (possibly the definite article "the"?) before it?

I went to the great Los Angeles Stadium.

I took a visit to the great Los Angeles Stadium.

Also, I feel that when we put adjectives that describe a person's personal characteristics like "ambitious" or "recalcitrant," I feel we have to put the definite article "the" before a name of a person like this: the ambitious/recalcitrant John Doe (rather than the indefinite article "a" like "an ambitious John Doe or a recalcitrant John Doe). What do you think?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

If I chose to put the adjective before what I think is the proper name "Los Angles Stadium," do you think we would have to put any English article (possibly the definite article "the"?) before it? Broadly speaking, yes. But for some adjectives, no.

It sounds OK to say eg I went to huge Los Angeles Stadium.

I went to the great Los Angeles Stadium.

I took a visit to the great Los Angeles Stadium.

Also, I feel that when we put adjectives that describe a person's personal characteristics like "ambitious" or "recalcitrant," I feel we have to put the definite article "the" before a name of a person like this: the ambitious/recalcitrant John Doe (rather than the indefinite article "a" like "an ambitious John Doe or a recalcitrant John Doe). What do you think? I don't agree.

All of these are possible, although with different nuances.

1. The ambitious Tom Smith is IBM's new Vice-President of Sales. Sounds like the writer expects the reader already to be aware of or know Tom Smith.

2. An ambitious Tom Smth is IBM's new Vice-President of Sales. Sounds like the writer thinks the reader is not already aware of Tom Smith. Another possibility is that they both know Tom, but the writer wants to express more distant, more remote feelings about Tom.

3. Ambitious Tom Smith is IBM's new Vice-President of Sales. A much more neutral thing to say than the other two above.

All 3 sound like written sentences. In speech, you'd more often say eg Tom Smith is IBM's new Vice-President of Sales. He's an ambitious person.

All 3 sound quite formal, particularly 1 and 2.

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for  your help.

Proper name Los Angeles Stadium?

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