Elon Musk had been in negotiations to acquire social media platform Twitter

[kadioguy]

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a. Elon Musk had been in negotiations to acquire social media platform Twitter ... .
b. Elon Musk had been in negotiations to acquire the social media platform Twitter ... . (my version)

I assume that the structure of (a) is like "manager Tom" (not "the manager Tom"). So (b) is incorrect. Another example would be "post #1" (not "the post #1").

Is that right?

 

[jutfrank]

No, that isn't right.

 

[kadioguy]

No, that isn't right.

Could you please tell me more about this? Do you think that (a) is correct while (b) isn't? And the reason?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sentences a and b are both grammatically correct and possible.

 

[Ostap]

not a teacher

"manager Tom" is incorrect. It sounds like a title, as in Queen Elizabeth II.

 

[5jj]

The question is nothing to do with 'manager Tom'.

 

[Ostap]

The question is nothing to to with 'manager Tom'

"Social media platform Twitter" was compared to "manager Tom" by the OP, and my point was that the comparison was wrong. "Social media platform" does not act as a title for "Twitter", while "manager", theoretically, would in "Manager Tom".

 

[kadioguy]

Then how about "social media platform Twitter" and "post #1"?
But emsr2d2 said that "the social media platform Twitter" is possible. If so, "the post #1" could also be possible?

 

[Ostap]

Then how about "social media platform Twitter" and "post #1"?
But emsr2d2 said that "the social media platform Twitter" is possible. If so, "the post #1" could also be possible?

Again, it's different. When using common nouns followed by numbers, articles are usually ommitted: post #5, room 15, section 33, road 11, aisle 3, etc.

 

[kadioguy]

Again, it's different. When using common nouns followed by numbers, articles are usually ommitted: post #5, room 15, section 33, road 11, aisle 3, etc.

Then what do you think of my question in post #1?

I mean, do you think the "the" is optional and why?

(the) social media platform Twitter

 

[Ostap]

Then what do you think of my question in post #1?

I mean, do you think the "the" is optional and why?

(the) social media platform Twitter

Yes, as emsr2d2 said above, both are possible.

I think when a name is preceded by a description, articles are optional. Like, "(the) actor Mel Gibson". And I think in the press, they are left out more often.

 

[Rover_KE]

Ostap, the fact that you are not a teacher must appear in every post you are replying to.

For your convenience, you can include this in your signature line, as tedmc has done. [link]

 

[Tarheel]

I wouldn't say Twitter is "the" social media platform. (There is more than one.) Also, the negotiations are still going on.

 

[Ostap]

I wouldn't say Twitter is "the" social media platform. (There is more than one.)

But this is a different structure.

 

[Tarheel]

But this is a different structure.

I don't know what that means, but Elon Musk has indeed been in negotiations to buy social platform Twitter. (How that will turn out is unknown.)

 

[Ostap]

I don't know what that means, but Elon Musk had indeed been in negotiations to buy social platform Twitter. (How that will turn out is unknown.)

I meant:
Twitter is a social media platform,
but
the social media platform Twitter

I heard he's changed his mind and withdrawn from buying. Good call, Twitter is not worth such big money.

 

[Tarheel]

@Ostap I meant to say "has" there.* (The negotiations are ongoing as far as I know.)

*I changed it.

 

[kadioguy]

[...] "Social media platform" does not act as a title for "Twitter", while "manager", theoretically, would in "Manager Tom".

(the) manager Tom

Do you think the "the" is also optional? I assume that it is. I think that when a name is preceded by a title, the article is optional.

How about you?

 

[tedmc]

(the) manager Tom

Do you think the "the" is also optional? I assume that it is. I think that when a name is preceded by a title, the article is optional.

How about you?

I'd say "Manager Tom", as in a nickname given to Tom. Or it is "the manager, Tom" (same as "Tom, the manager".
In "the social media platform, Twitter", the article and comma are omitted as an exception to the rule, as "Twitter" is all too well known as a social media platform.

 

[kadioguy]

I'd say "Manager Tom", as in a nickname given to Tom. Or it is "the manager, Tom" (same as "Tom, the manager".
In "the social media platform, Twitter", the article and comma are omitted as an exception to the rule, as "Twitter" is all too well known as a social media platform.

What do you think of this?

I'll try to translate it into English below:

Antonio Guterres, (the) Secretary General of the UN, is a very powerful man.

The writer thinks that the "the" is optional, because: (a) Secretary General of the UN is an appositive of the proper noun Antonio Guterres, so "the" can be omitted; (b) But we can also see Secretary General as a common noun, which could exist in any organization, so having "the" is correct as well.

Isaac Asimov, (a) prolific American writer, left behind some 500 books.

The writer thinks that the "a" is optional, because: {a} prolific American writer is an appositive of the proper noun Isaac Asimov, so "a" can be omitted; {b} But we can also see writer as a common noun, so having "a" is correct as well.