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   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9 2022-01-30   
      
   Hi, Ardith Hinton - Alexander Koryagin!   
   I read your message from 05.02.2022 01:26   
      
    AK>> Is "the" in "Bill Clinton, the President of United States of   
    AK>> America" correct?   
      
    AH> The article is optional with words like "president".   
      
    AH> The definite article is required in "The United States of America"   
    AH> because that is the official name of the country. In the common   
    AH> parlance we often say "the US" or something similar... i.e.   
    AH> retaining the article. "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and   
    AH> Northern Ireland" is treated in the same manner. Colloquially, we   
    AH> often refer to it as "the UK".   
      
    AH> WRT official titles like "President of the United States", or   
    AH> even "former President of the United States", the article may be   
    AH> left out. Among Fidonetters this title may be abbreviated as "the   
    AH> POTUS". But AFAIK none of them are journalists, who say things   
    AH> like "US President Joe Biden". In such cases they are using the   
    AH> abbreviated name of the country as an adjective. I can't think of   
    AH> anybody else, however, who would actually say that... [grin].   
      
    AH> In case my last paragraph left you & others a bit confused, I will   
    AH> share with you my own experience as an actress in an elementary   
    AH> school play. Years ago, when only formal English was allowed in the   
    AH> classroom, one of the lines I memorized was "I'm So-and-So,   
    AH> president of the Ladies' Flower Club." IOW... I regard this usage   
    AH> as well established & therefore have no objection when others   
    AH> employ it in reference to some author, movie director, etc.   
      
   If I were invented English rules, I put it simpler. The article "the" can be   
   omitted if you are sure that the thing or person, you are speaking about, is   
   unique in general. In other words -- we don't need "the" before "author" from   
   my example because the author of a particular book is unique as a rule. The   
   same with American president, prime minister, head master.   
      
   So: I went to school to meet with headmaster. Capital of the US is Washington.   
   Composer of "Moon sonata" is Beethoven. After school I went home. Head is part   
   of body.   
      
   Are there any examples how to disprove my rule?   
   -)   
      
   Bye, Ardith!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   english_tutor 2022   
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