(the )Guangdong Province

[nelson13]

We say Guangdong Province, without THE,

but in the New York Times, a sentence:

Four of the cities are outside the heavily industrial Guangdong Province, where all three Honda auto parts strikes have taken place.

If the existence of THE is due to the existence of an adjective, then why don't we say THE new China but simply new China?

 

[SoothingDave]

Who says "new China?"

 

[nelson13]

Reorganized National Government of China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

a sentence in bold you can find

 

[SoothingDave]

The name is "New China." "New" is not an adjective, but part of the proper name. That's why there is no "the" used.

 

[nelson13]

Thank you. "Proper name" is a good answer; then why don't we directly say Kuomintang but THE Kuomintang?

Apart from this, was I right in saying "We say Guangdong Province, without THE"

 

[Tdol]

With proper nouns, there are different uses of the definite article with different types of noun. We generally use the with political parties.

 

[nelson13]

wawawa.... This is exactly the answer I want to have. I've been rummaging through grammar books but failed.


Apart from this, was I right in saying "We say Guangdong Province, without THE"

 

[bhaisahab]

wawawa.... This is exactly the answer I want to have. I've been rummaging through grammar books but failed.


Apart from this, was I right in saying "We say Guangdong Province, without THE"

Yes.

 

[charliedeut]

wawawa....

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is that supposed to mean? Is it just like "a-ha", or maybe like "at last", or maybe expressing happiness/merriment?

Thank you for your explanation to this ignorant member.

 

[TheParser]

Thank you for your explanation to this ignorant member.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello,

This ignorant member has not been able to sleep well because I have been thinking about this all night -- and day.

I have two ideas. I do not claim that either one is correct. We will not know until the thread starter answers the question.

1. Someone on the Web with the user name "Sanya" says that "wa" in Cantonese Chinese is a sign of surprise or wonder.

I then checked Google books, and it seems that "wa" in Cantonese can mean something like our Wow!

2. I also checked Google, and it seems that there's a Japanese pop(ular) song with the words "wa wa wa." It's on YouTube.

*****

I hope that the thread starter answers us. I'm a very old man who needs his sleep!


James

 

[nelson13]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello,

This ignorant member has not been able to sleep well because I have been thinking about this all night -- and day.

I have two ideas. I do not claim that either one is correct. We will not know until the thread starter answers the question.

1. Someone on the Web with the user name "Sanya" says that "wa" in Cantonese Chinese is a sign of surprise or wonder.

I then checked Google books, and it seems that "wa" in Cantonese can mean something like our Wow!

2. I also checked Google, and it seems that there's a Japanese pop(ular) song with the words "wa wa wa." It's on YouTube.

*****

I hope that the thread starter answers us. I'm a very old man who needs his sleep!


James

Sorry. I didn't know you would be so interested in knowing.

wawawa I believe is not English. When I, as a south Chinese, want to express surprise or wonder, as you've correctly said, I will use wa. My mother tongue is Cantonese, and this is exactly the native language of Hong Kong.

Sometimes I find that the sounds of my mother tongue is more expressive and I will blend some of them into my answers in foreign forums; but I believe this is not my partial opinion: my mother tongue has the most complicated pronunciation system among all the regional languages (NOT dialect) in China.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello,


1. Thank you for the answer. Now I can get some sleep tonight.

2. Thank you, too, for reminding me to call Cantonese a "regional language." I will be sure not to offend

Cantonese speakers by using the word "dialect."


James

 

[nelson13]

An important problem related to this thread.

If THE should be used for a proper noun when there is an adjective, then why is THE not used here:

"I suppose they do," said practical Jose, who never[....]

This is from "the Garden Party", by Mansfield.

 

[TheParser]

If THE should be used for a proper noun when there is an adjective, then why is THE not used here:

"I suppose they do," said practical Jose, who never[....]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


1. You were nice enough to explain "wa wa wa"; so let me reciprocate by sharing something that I found in a big fat grammar book * used by many teachers throughout the world.

2. The four scholars wrote (The boldface type is my idea):

"Nonrestrictive premodifiers are limited to adjectives with emotive colouring."

They then give examples such as:

old Mrs. Fletcher
poor Charles

3. The four scholars continue:

"In a more formal and rather stereotyped style, the adjective is placed between the and a personal name:

the beautiful Princess Diana [Princess Diana, who is beautiful']
the inimitable Henry Higgins ['Henry Higgens, who is inimitable'] "

*****

4. I think that "practical" is certainly an adjective with emotive coloring.

5. Ms. Mansfield was a professional writer. A professional writer can write any way s/he wishes. That is called style.

a. Perhaps Ms. Mansfield felt that "said the practical Jose" would have been too "formal."


James


* A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (1985 edition) by Professors Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik, page 280.

 

[nelson13]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


1. You were nice enough to explain "wa wa wa"; so let me reciprocate by sharing something that I found in a big fat grammar book * used by many teachers throughout the world.

2. The four scholars wrote (The boldface type is my idea):

"Nonrestrictive premodifiers are limited to adjectives with emotive colouring."

They then give examples such as:

old Mrs. Fletcher
poor Charles

3. The four scholars continue:

"In a more formal and rather stereotyped style, the adjective is placed between the and a personal name:

the beautiful Princess Diana [Princess Diana, who is beautiful']
the inimitable Henry Higgins ['Henry Higgens, who is inimitable'] "

*****

4. I think that "practical" is certainly an adjective with emotive coloring.

5. Ms. Mansfield was a professional writer. A professional writer can write any way s/he wishes. That is called style.

a. Perhaps Ms. Mansfield felt that "said the practical Jose" would have been too "formal."


James


* A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (1985 edition) by Professors Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik, page 280.

Thank you very much. I love the red sentence. Citation is the beauty of grammar explanation.

 

[rou]

I am not the original poster (OP) but I am Chinese and I suppose the OP is too. I'd bet $100 in any currency that by "wawawa" he/she meant something like "wow wow wow". There, sweet dreams to ya!

 

[riquecohen]

Your questions have been answered, but I think you might like to take a look at this link, which I've already posted today on another thread. Purdue OWL: How to Use Articles (a/an/the)