"the" or "zero article" before nationalities

Any other demands?

No sir, just one. Please oblige.

haroon rashidNo sir, just one. Please oblige.

Hi. I'm just curious: what do you mean by oblige there?

Surferwhat do you mean by oblige there?

See definition #2 http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/oblige.

fivejedjonSurferwhat do you mean by oblige there?See definition #2 here .

Actually I do know what that word means, such that I find it rather strange - inappropriate, actually (with all due respect, haroon) - to hear it from a supposed student asking for help from a teacher, the reason why I became skeptical and wanted to know whether there are other meanings/

Here in Indian and Pakistani culture, the word "oblige" is very commonly used so i am sorry if it seemed offensive or inappropriate to you.

haroon rashidHere in Indian and Pakistani culture, the word "oblige" is very commonly used so i am sorry if it seemed offensive or inappropriate to you.

It is not particularly natural in British English, but it is not offensive in any way.

In any case, there is no need to apologise for what is perfectly normal in your variety of English.

haroon rashid Here in Indian and Pakistani culture, the word "oblige" is very commonly used so i am sorry if it seemed offensive or inappropriate to you.

Haroon, I'm sure you meant to be polite in all your posts. If I may **** in, the problem is with the phrasing "Please ... (do something)". While this appears to be perfectly polite, in practice it can have co

haroon rashid Please explain the use of "the" and ""zero article" before nationalities with at least a dozen examples.

Generally speaking, when the adjective of nationality and the word used for a citizen are the same, we use them like this:

I am British/American/German.
The British/Americans/Germans are not very good at languages.

You can always expect this from a non-native speaker or learner of language but you need to give them some leeway..