THE USE OF ARTICLES WITH PREDICATIVE NOUNS AND NOUNS IN APPOSITION
1. As a rule, predicative and appositive nouns are used with the classifying indefinite article which shows that the speaker is characterizing a person, object or event as a specimen of a certain class of thing. With plural nouns no article is used:
She is really an excellent creature but a complete fool, as I said.
I had several companions and they have all been complete fools.
2. If there is a limiting modifier, predicative and appositive nouns are used with the definite article:
He is the only person here with medical knowledge.
Philip had been the hero of his childhood.
3. If predicative and appositive nouns denote the position (rank, state, post or occupation) which is unique, i.e. can be occupied by one person at a time, either no article or the definite article is used. These nouns are often used after the verbs to appoint, to choose, to elect, to become and some others:
Mr. Henderson is manager, not under-manager any longer.
His ideal was professor Edward Edwards, head of the Department of Chemistry.
They chose him chairman of the Society.
He was elected (the) President of the country.
The definite article tends to be left out in sentences like:
It was nearly 40 years before she became Queen.
When he was President he often longed for more privacy.
As some grammars point out, it would be unnatural to leave in the definite article and say “She became the Queen” or “When he was the President” though the article can be used when the noun is followed by of.
Note that when talking about a person rather than describing someone’s role you need an article: The Queen is strongly against the project.
Note the absence of article in set expressions with the verb to turn: to turn traitor, to turn miser, to turn pirate.
4. The nouns son and daughter predicatively and appositively generally take the definite article when modified by an of-phrase if they express mere relationship:
She is the daughter of a doctor.
If the speaker wants to emphasize the idea that there are several sons and daughter in the family, the indefinite article is used: She is a daughter of a doctor. When the stress is laid on the social position of the person in question, no article is used: She is daughter of a doctor.
5. No article is used in structures with enough where predicative nouns acquire
an adjectival character, denoting a certain characteristic of the person in question:
Surely Bella isn’t fool enough to believe that sort of stuff?
6. The article is also omitted when predicative nouns are used in clauses of concession with inverted word order: Child as he was, his judgement was sound.
7. If the appositive noun denotes a well-known person or work of art, the definite article is generally used: John Galsworthy, the famous English writer, was of a Devonshire family.
But if the person or work of article is not widely known, the indefinite article is used: “Pericles”, a comedy by Shakespeare, is hardly ever staged.
The use of articles
Family or work? A matter of priorities
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Because of the complexity of modern life and changing interfamiliar expectations, employees are finding an increasing variety of family-based reasons for being absent from work or requesting alternate schedules. It is equally important for employees to understand that a financially healthy company should care about its workers, but that financial health is based on the firm‘s ability to achieve quality productivity in every facet of its operation. At the same time that technology frees us to have greater flexibility and autonomy, work/family issues are in a time warp. When it comes to work/family balance, corporate cultures are largely inflexible. People don‘t believe they can take leave or use flex time without jeopardizing their careers. The work/family field is expanding. Today‘s work force requires synchronicity between home- and job-life. A changing work force means that organizations must help people manage their multiple responsibilities.
Most often, large companies lead the way in developing work/family policies. Programs should exist for all ages and for people at all income brackets. If companies offer flexible work arrangements and family supports to
help employees cope during difficult phases of their lives, people would take advantages of them. Flexibility gives people a sense of control and autonomy. Every segment of society must address the challenges of balancing work and family issues. Some experts say we need to evaluate not only the way people work but the amount of time people work. They agree that the work/family field remains fragmented. Everything - policies, programs, benefits, and
communications training – should fit together.
So we need:
– to train employees to work in new ways;
– to invest in the technology that allows people to work in different ways;
– to provide more basic support of people throughout their life transitions, regardless of their status of white- or blue- collar workers.
Adjectives
Intensifiers of Adjectives EMPHASIZERS with EXAMPLE
POSITIVE DEGREE
very It’s very awkward.
ever so The book is ever so interesting.
too Everybody would be only too glad to see you.
far too It’s far too expensive.
most “Yes”, she thought, “everybody’s been most kind.”
a most The 5th Symphony by Tchaikovsky is a most beautiful piece of music.
that Are things that bad with you?
repetition of the
intensifier or the Adj
I agree with every word you’ve said ― every single word.
You bad, bad boy. It’s very, very bad.
COMPARATIVE DEGREE
much, a lot, lots My brother is much younger [ than myself]
a great / good deal, a good bit The performance proved to be a great deal better than I could ever expect.
still The first edition is good, the new one is still better.
ever Environmental issues acquire an ever greater scope.
far I’ve been with good people, far better than you.
Adj + by far He is funnier by far.
no This method is no better than the one we’ve been using.
none the + Adj He was none the wiser for that answer, but he didn’t try to analyse it.
all the + Adj His remorse was all the more painful because of the irony of his mistake.
Adj + and + Adj The sound grew fainter and fainter.
SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
by far “The Swan Lake” is by far the best ballet we have.
Adj + possible It’s difficult to go about in the wrongest way possible.
the very She put on her very best dress.