[Grammar] the vs a/an

[jiamajia]

Chelsea Clinton Tells Bill To Lose Weight - Newsopi.com

Beginning lines:

Chelsea Clinton Tells Bill To Lose Weight –

Apparently Chelsea Clinton has ordered her father to lose some weight. Bill Clinton is the former President of the United States and according to Chelsea he needs to drop some pounds before her wedding that is going to take place in the summer.

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Please tell me if the writer used the definite article 'the' properly in this case. It seems to me it should be an 'a' in its place. Am I right?



Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

Chelsea Clinton Tells Bill To Lose Weight - Newsopi.com

Beginning lines:

Chelsea Clinton Tells Bill To Lose Weight –

Apparently Chelsea Clinton has ordered her father to lose some weight. Bill Clinton is the former President of the United States and according to Chelsea he needs to drop some pounds before her wedding that is going to take place in the summer.

----------------------------------------------

Please tell me if the writer used the definite article 'the' properly in this case. It seems to me it should be an 'a' in its place. Am I right?



Thank you.

Had I read this in a newspaper, I wouldn't immediately think "Oh, no, he's used the wrong article!" as we see examples like this all the time. However, I agree with you that, technically, Bill Clinton is simply "a former President" and it would have been better written this way.