Forum newsfeeds |  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
19-May-2008, 04:57
| | Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Country: Uzebek
Posts: 170
Current Location: Uzbek First Language: Malay Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 72
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | effect of removing 'the' Hi,
Which of the following sentences is more correct and why?. The only difference is 'the' before 'complications'. 1. Closed-end funds allow small investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate assets without the complications of operating responsibilities. 2. Closed-end funds allow small investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate assets without complications of operating responsibilities. Thanks, MG. | 
19-May-2008, 06:00
|  | Member | | Join Date: May 2008 Country: India
Posts: 309
Current Location: Mumbai First Language: english Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 143
Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Ist sentence sounds correct because we are specifying what is the major complication and that is the operation responsibilities, so we need to use definite article - 'the' | 
19-May-2008, 13:44
| | Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Country: Uzebek
Posts: 170
Current Location: Uzbek First Language: Malay Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 72
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' new2grammar,
Thanks. I have seen people omitting definite articles for nouns clearly defined by a following phrase. For example, look at the following sentence. The fact that current market prices are 20% higher than in-place prices for the contracts leases maturing until 2010, bodes well for [ ]same store growth in future quarters.
By the logic you applied to my last sentence, should there be 'the' before 'same-store growth' as it is defined by 'in future quarters'?
Thanks,
MG. | 
19-May-2008, 13:53
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,296 Times in 1,181 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Adding the implies the reader already knows or is about to be told what the complications are. Omitting the implies the reader needn't know what those complications are. Perhaps the reader already knows, perhaps going into the complications isn't in focus. | 
19-May-2008, 13:54
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,296 Times in 1,181 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Quote:
Originally Posted by musicgold The fact that current market prices are 20% higher than in-place prices for the contracts leases maturing until 2010, bodes well for [ ]same store growth in future quarters. | The word same takes an article. The same is a set pair.  | 
19-May-2008, 14:07
| | Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Country: Uzebek
Posts: 170
Current Location: Uzbek First Language: Malay Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 72
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Soup,
Thanks. Quote: |
The word same takes an article
| Actually in this case same-store is a compound noun. Quote: | Adding the implies the reader already knows or is about to be told what the complications are. | If you were writing this sentence, (and your reader knew what the word 'same-store growth' for a company meant), how would you write it, with or without 'the'?
Thanks. | 
19-May-2008, 14:19
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,296 Times in 1,181 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Quote:
Originally Posted by musicgold The fact that current market prices are 20% higher than in-place prices for the contracts leases maturing until 2010, bodes well for [ ]same store growth in future quarters.
If you were writing this sentence, (and your reader knew what the word 'same-store growth' for a company meant), how would you write it, with or without 'the'? | If same store is hyphenated, then I would omit the because the hypenated phrase mirrors the structure of in-place prices.
If same store is not hypenated, then I would add the.
So, which is it? Is same store hyphenated or not?
Note, no comma after 2010, and this phrase contracts leases reads awkward.   | 
19-May-2008, 15:31
| | Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Country: Uzebek
Posts: 170
Current Location: Uzbek First Language: Malay Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 72
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Yes, it is same-store (hyphenated). Sorry about that. Quote: |
If same store is hyphenated, then I would omit the because the hypenated phrase mirrors the structure of in-place prices. | I am confused here. I don't understand what you mean by 'mirrors the structure'. | 
20-May-2008, 12:43
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,296 Times in 1,181 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' The fact that current market prices are 20% higher than in-place prices for the contract leases maturing until 2010 bodes well for [ ] same-store growth in future quarters. | 
20-May-2008, 13:57
| | Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Country: Uzebek
Posts: 170
Current Location: Uzbek First Language: Malay Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 72
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: effect of removing 'the' Soup,
Thanks. But I don't understand how 'in-place prices' affect the article of 'same-store growth' down the sentence.
What is the rule you are referring to? Please bear with me on this.
MG. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 20:22. |  |