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Eipjoo Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Why isn't there any article?

Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect.

There’s an article before prefect, but none before head boy and captain. Why is that?
  

Top answer

eipjoo Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a This"a" is wrong. ) There’s an article before prefect, but none before head boy and captain.

— Canadian45

  • eipjoo Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.
  • Now Percy's a This"a" is wrong.
  • ) There’s an article before prefect, but none before head boy and captain.
  • Why is that?
  • Articles before "headboy" and "captain" are optional.
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7 Answers
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eipjooBill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a This"a" is wrong. You cannot say"Now Percy's a prefect." (a perfect what?)
There’s an article before prefect, bu
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canadian45This"a" is wrong. You cannot say"Now Percy's a prefect." (a perfect what?)
it's not perfect but prefect... a position in Hogwarts...
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Sorry, I misread "prefect" as "perfect". "a prefect" is correct!
My comments about "headboy" and "captain" stand.
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canadian45Percy's a prefect." (a perfect what?)
prefect: a schoolchild appointed to a position of limited power overhis fellows.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prefect?s=t
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Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect.

There’s an article before prefect, but none before head boy and captain. Why is that?

In the s
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CliveIn the school, there is only one head boy and one captain of Quidditch.
By using no article, the writer shows she is thinking of these words as titles (although they really should start with a capital.)
If they are meant as common nouns, each should have the definite article 'the'.
One can also look at this differently.
'On our baseball team,
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canadian45And it is not necessary to capitalize the players' positions.
J.K.Rowling once capitalized in page 212 (I'm Head Boy. I'm Quidditch captain), and as in the example she doesn't capitalize.
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