"total assets of which" or "the total assets of which"

[albertino]

In 1990, he founded the real estate investment company, the total assets of which now reach $50 million.

Here, we come back to the question of the use of "the" in front of an of-phrase again.

The headnoun "total assets" is unspecific, for no other modifying clause presents after the of-phrase (As Casiopea said that before), so the zero article should be used instead, I suppose.

Please correct me if I am wrong, Mr/Ms Casiopea. I beg you pardon. But I just want to make myself clear if I really understand what you have explained before.

[Casiopea]

Count noun
In 1990, he founded the real estate investment company, the total assets of which now reach $50 million.

Count noun
In 1990, he founded the real estate investment company, the total assets of that company now reach $50 million.

Possessive
In 1990, he founded the real estate investment company. The company's total assets now reach $50 million.

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No need for titles like Mr or Ms., because Casiopea is not a family/last name.

[albertino]

Aspects of the Irish constitution and its implementation are clearly oppressive as well as offensive to other minorities beside the Protestant one.

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Edited by mistake - Casiopea

[Casiopea]

The predicate describes the noun aspects; it doesn't define it. You're correct.

[albertino]

The predicate describes the noun aspects; it doesn't define it. You're correct.

Thank you for your reply, Casiopea.
BTW, is there any other simpler ways to identify whether a headnoun in the of-phrase is defined or described at a glance?
More important, would you be kind enough to refer me some books or online materials which are talking about this subject(I mean, the use of the definite or zero article in an of-phrase)? If there is none, could you please introduce me some more online exercises on this?

I just wonder why native speakers like you Cuacasians can easily identify the use or unuse of the definite article in an of-phrase, whereas non-native speakers like us yellow-skinned Asians cannot.

Anyway, my conviction is perseverance will be eventually paid off one day.

Heaps of thanks to you, Casiopea.

[Casiopea]

BTW, is there any other simpler way to identify whether a headnoun in the of-phrase is defined or described at a glance?

Yes, there is. The trick is in the semantics. The means specific; e.g., the aspects of the constitution could be re-written as specific aspects of the constitution. Omit the (pre)determiners and the noun becomes generic in reference; i.e., Aspect (in general) of the consitution.

• Try points 1., 2., 7., and 8. here, LILT:Determiner
• Search Google for partitive constructs and/or zero determiner
• Try also here, http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/engli.../nouns&det.pdf, scroll down to Specific v. generic reference

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Terminology: politically correct language
Please note, not all native speakers are cuacasian. Furthermore, the term yellow-skinned Asians is considered offensive.

[albertino]

Thank you for your help and apologise for my slip of the tongue.

[Casiopea]

You're most welcome, and there's no need for apologies. Knowledge is power.