[Grammar] Clinton was elected "president" in 1992.

[kadioguy]

Clinton was elected president in 1992.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/president_1?q=president+

Washington, George
(1732–99) the first president of the US, from 1789 to 1797. Washington was a respected officer in the British army before he became commander of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War. After the war he became the leader of the Constitutional Convention and influenced the states to officially accept the new Constitution of the United States. He was elected president of the US twice, but he refused to be president for a third time.
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/george-washington

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"President" and "commander" are both countable nouns, but in the two above cases, no article is before them. Are both of them seen as uncountable nouns in the two above cases?

 

[YAMATO2201]

Practical English Usage, 3rd edition, 70.12 (page 64)

 

[kadioguy]

Practical English Usage, 3rd edition, 70.12 (page 64)

Please note in the below cases, if there is no article before the nouns, they are capitalized. In these cases, I think they are seen as proper nouns.

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jobs and positions

The is not used in titles like Queen Elizabeth, President Lincoln. Compare:

Queen Elizabeth had dinner with President Kennedy.
The Queen had dinner with the President.

And the is not usually used in the complement of a sentence, when we say that somebody has or gains a unique position (the only one in the organisation). Compare:

- They appointed him Head Librarian.
Where's the librarian?

- He was elected President in 1879.
I want to see the President.

 

[YAMATO2201]

She was elected president of her stock club.
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id... definite article "elected president"&f=false (page 218)

 

[kadioguy]

She was elected president of her stock club.
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id... definite article "elected president"&f=false (page 218)

But as for "commander" in post #1, I don't see any naming verb before it.:shock:

 

[YAMATO2201]

But as for "commander" in post #1, I don't see any naming verb before it.

1) Bush was elected president of the United States.

2) Bush was elected the president of the United States.

I see nothing wrong with sentence #2, but I prefer sentence #1.

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He then became the commander of the 899th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment located in Buturlinovka, Voronezh; the regiment fought in the First and Second Chechen Wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Bondarev

 

[kadioguy]

1) Bush was elected president of the United States.
2) Bush was elected the president of the United States.

I see nothing wrong with sentence #2, but I prefer sentence #1.

Grammatically, I think a singular countable noun should have an article before it. "President" (not capitalized) is a countable noun and not a proper noun, so there should be an article before it. Sentence #2 is definitely OK to me. In my opinion, "president" should be capitalized, as a proper noun, in your sentence #1, when there is no article before it, unless it is seen an uncountable noun.

He then became the commander of the 899th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment located in Buturlinovka, Voronezh; the regiment fought in the First and Second Chechen Wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Bondarev

We should find out why "the" is before the "commander" in your post, whereas no article before the "commander" in my post.

As was said in post #1, I would think when it is seen as an uncountable noun, there can be no article before it.

 

[YAMATO2201]

Grammatically, I think a singular countable noun should have an article before it.

Are you sure? I suspect you meant "determiner" rather than "article".

 

[kadioguy]

Are you sure? I suspect you meant "determiner" rather than "article".

Sorry, I should have written an article or other determiners.

 

[YAMATO2201]

In my opinion, "president" should be capitalized, as a proper noun, in your sentence #1, when there is no article before it, unless it is seen an uncountable noun.

Clinton was elected president in 1992. https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/president_1

Do you think this sentence is incorrect?

 

[kadioguy]

Clinton was elected president in 1992. https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/president_1

Do you think this sentence is incorrect?

Well, I do feel confused about this sentence. This is why I started up this thread. The reasonable answer that I can think is that "president" here is seen as an uncountable noun. Maybe we can wait for a native speaker to tell us.

 

[YAMATO2201]

3) Caroline has been appointed head of the company.

4) Caroline has been appointed the head of the company.

Which do you think is correct?

I think both are OK.

 

[kadioguy]

3) Caroline has been appointed head of the company.

4) Caroline has been appointed the head of the company.

Which do you think is correct?

I think both are OK.

(4) is OK. As for (3), I am not sure. If (3) is OK and natural, I think there should be some grammar point in it, but I didn't know. :-?

 

[YAMATO2201]

3) Caroline has been appointed head of the company.

4) Caroline has been appointed the head of the company.

I think there is no harm in regarding sentence #3 as an example of the omission of "the".

 

[kadioguy]

I think there is no harm in regarding sentence #3 as an example of the omission of "the".

But how do you think about "a singular countable noun should have an article or other determiners before it"? Is sentence #3 an exception?

 

[YAMATO2201]

Is sentence #3 an exception?

I would consider #3 to be an exception because I regard it as an example of the omission of "the".

 

[probus]

The blind leading the blind.

 

[kadioguy]

The two quotations below, from posts #3 and #5, appear to deal with most of the questions raised in this thread.

But how about the no-article-before-it "commander" in post #1? It is not capitalized and doesn't have any naming verb before it.

 

[kadioguy]

I would consider #3 to be an exception because I regard it as an example of the omission of "the".

But in what situation can "the" be omitted?

 

[kadioguy]

The blind leading the blind.

Could you please be the light bringer for us?