proper name

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Believer

#483533 Sat, 01 Mar 08 08:21 AM

Hi,

Is it acceptable to put an indefinite article like 'a' in front of a proper name? I think it is since I see it done often but isn't a proper name suppose to represent a unique thing that is one and only. Then, again, I do see the definite article 'the" in front of some proper names.

,,, calculated using a Korean Food Consumption Table.

Believer

Joined on Mon, Jan 2 2006

Contributing Member (1,969)

Cool Breeze

#483540 Sat, 01 Mar 08 08:46 AM

Hi Believer

A is often used when there is an adjective before a proper noun:

We saw a sad George Bush on television last night.

A is also often used in similar cases with words that take no article without an adjective:

I had lunch.

I had a substantial lunch.

A is often used in similar cases even though the is used without an adjective:

Birds were flying in the sky.

Birds were flying in a blue sky.

Cool Breeze

Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006

Helsinki, Finland

Senior Member (2,849)

The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.- Mark Twain

Articles, Nouns

Believer

#484793 Tue, 04 Mar 08 11:55 AM

Thank you, CB, for taking time to answer my question.

I thought I was looking at an example where no adjective is involved but that has only a proper name.

What is the justification for the placement of an article here?

Please follow a Recommended List of Proper Behavior.

To me, the words "Recommended List of Proper Behavior" are a proper noun and like an original example, which is "a Korean Food Consumption Table," all the words in capital letters are part of a proper noun (eventhough, I think you have considered 'Korean' to be an adjective).

Believer

Articles, Capital letters, Nouns

Cool Breeze

#484860 Tue, 04 Mar 08 02:39 PM

Capitalization doesn't mean a word is a proper noun in English. It is possible to capitalize the word father if you talk about your own father and want to be polite. Capitalization is used in countless cases where in other languages everything is written in lower case. Your two examples are not proper nouns. The use of a instead of the in Please follow a Recommended List of Proper Behavior implies that there are at least two such lists.

Cheers

Cool Breeze

Nouns