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Latest post Thu, Jun 7 2007 2:53 PM by Grammar Geek. 1 replies.
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Believer  +  376192 Thu, 07 Jun 07 11:39 AM

Hi,

When you say 'the doctor's office', I think it would refer to a specific doctor's office, but how about this?

the Doctor's Office -- Now, it is clear that we are dealing with a proper noun, that is 'Doctor's Office' and it would most likely to be considered as 'Doctor's' acting as an adjective, making the whole name as kind of a classifying possessive like 'children's center', but as you can see, now there is the definite article 'the'. Is it clear which noun it is modifying? A capitalizes Doctor or capitatized Office?  I think it is the capitalized Office?

How about here, what does 'a' here modify?

Draw a bird's eye view of the classroom. -- I think 'a' modifies the classroom with the basic line of reasoning similar to the one above.

Joined on Mon, Jan 2 2006
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Grammar Geek  +  376245 Thu, 07 Jun 07 02:53 PM

Hi Believer,

In the US, we say "the doctor" or "the doctor's office" without meaning a specific doctor. It is one of the cases when you don't need to have established which person or thing you mean before using "the." I would say "I need to go see the doctor" without it being necessary for my listener to know who my doctor is.

the Doctor's Office is not a proper noun, and should not be capitalized.

 

For your second question, a bird's eye view of the classroom is the entire noun phrase, but view is the simple object.

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
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Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
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