We met on a Friday. (Мы встретились в одну из пятниц).

6. Names of organizations and political parties are used with the definite article:

• the Navy, the Army, the Liberal Party, the London City Council.

But: Parliament, Congress.

7. Names of languages are used without any article unless the noun languageis mentioned:

• English, French, Japanese.

But: the English (French, Japanese) language.

The Use of Articles with Names of Persons

1. Generally no article is used with names of persons as they point out individuals:

• Tom, Mary, Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Loveday.

No article is used either if names of persons are modified by such descriptive attributes as little, old, dear, poor, honest, with which they form close units:

• Lucky Jim, Old Jolyon, Poor Smith, Dear Old Emily.

2. We find no article with the names of members of a family (Mother, Father, Aunt, Uncle, Baby, Cook, Nurse, Grandmother) when they are treated as proper names by the members of the family. In this case such nouns are usually written with a capital letter:

• Mother is still resting. Is Nurse back?

3. There is no article with nouns in direct address:

• — How is my wife, doctor? — Don't worry, sir, she's fine.

Well, young man, how are things?

4. The definite article is used with a name in the plural to indicate the whole family:

• the Forsytes, the Dobsons, the Peacocks.

5. The indefinite article is used to indicate one member of a family or a certain person having the name in question:

• She was a true Dobson. A Mr. Parker to see you.

6. Sometimes names of persons change their meaning and become common countable nouns if:

a) the name of a scientist, a painter, inventor or manufacturer is used to denote his work:

• a Webster, a Goya, a Ford, a Faberge.

b) the characteristic qualities of the bearer of the name (but not the person himself) are meant:

• This fellow's really a Jack-of all trades.

Mozart was called the Raphael of music.

Articles with Nouns in Apposition

1. As a rule, a countable noun in the singular in the function of an apposition takes the indefinite article (its classifying meaning is strongly felt in this case).

• 'I'm sure you know Mr. Hard, a professor at McGill,' she reminded.

My friend, a student, joined the club.

2. The definite article is used with a noun in apposition when:

a) it refers to a well-known person:

• Pushkin, the great Russian poet, was very fond of autumn.

b) it has a limiting attribute or is clear from the situation:

• He had left his hat on the table, the tall hat, in which he always went to church.

It's Mr. Hooks, the newspaper editor, he wants to see you.

3. If the apposition precedes the proper name it takes the definite article.

• The painter Turner, the composer Britten, the student Ognev.

4. Nouns in apposition may be used without any article if they denote a position, rank, state, post or occupation, which is, as a rule, unique, and can be occupied by only one person at a time. Here belong such nouns as: president, prime-minister, head, rector, director, dean, manager, chief, principal etc.

The noun in this case usually has an 'of-phrase' attribute:

• Mr. Jackson, superintendant of the school, was an old man.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1664