The then foreign secretary
"A long interview that the then foreign secretary Boris Johnson afforded al-Arabiya before Bin Salman’s visit revealed a craven country on its knees."
(The Guardian.)
Is "the" needed in determining the head of the noun phrase, i.e. "Boris Johnson", in the then foreign secretary Boris Johnson?
Top answer
It's not obligatory, though it seems to occur more often in NPs that include the adjunct "then". " Incidentally, "then" is an attributive adjective modifying the noun "foreign secretary".
- It's not obligatory, though it seems to occur more often in NPs that include the adjunct "then".
- " Incidentally, "then" is an attributive adjective modifying the noun "foreign secretary".
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It's not obligatory, though it seems to occur more often in NPs that include the adjunct "then".
Newspapers and the like frequently omit the determiner if it denotes a role or office like "foreign secretary":
"A long interview that (the) then foreign secretary Boris Johnson afforded al-Arabiya before Bin Salman’s visit revealed a craven country on its knees."
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