12 Jun 16 18:00, you wrote to me:   
      
    AI>>>> I would say "I live in the Moscow area". Region os OK too, I just   
    AI>>>> prefer area.. :)   
      
    ak>>> If you put it in a newspaper title you would omit "the". Because it   
    ak>>> is all clear without "the"?  ;)   
      
    ml>> no... "the" is needed for the sentence to make sense and not be   
    ml>> "broken english"... perhaps this will help, though...   
      
    ml>> http://www.dictionary.com/browse/the   
      
    ak> Which rule number is related to "the Moscow region/area"?   
      
   it seems to me that several of those rules apply...   
      
    ak> When we say "The witness from Connecticut refused to testify" we don't   
    ak> put "the" before "Connecticut" because it is a unique place. As   
    ak> unique, as "Moscow region". ;)   
      
   well, look at it like this...   
      
     you live in the region   
      
   is really what you are saying... Moscow specifies which region and is a   
   modifier to the word region by naming a specific one...   
      
    ak> It is like "Shelock Holmes lived in Baker street." Baker street -- no   
    ak> article. Regions names in Russia are similar to street names or the   
    ak> US' states where we also don't put article "the".   
      
   a lot has to do with the language... for example, in english we say   
      
     open the door   
      
   but in other languages, it may simply be (after translation)   
      
     door open   
      
    ak> Here there some rule I found:   
      
   that's a good set of rules to work with... i'm waiting to see what ardith's   
   posts will say... she is much better qualified to speak on the whys and   
   wherefores of the english than many of us... personally speaking, i just know   
   what sounds/feels right and wrong... i used to speak japanese and turkish when   
   i was a small child but i couldn't tell you anything about them as i learned   
   them from my friends when i was in those countries... that was a long time ago   
   and i can't even begin to say anything in them today...   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... Every spam is sacred.   
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    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)