the +name+company or name +company?

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linkenglish
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the +name+company or name +company?

Post by linkenglish »

Hi there!

I'm a non-native English teacher and I have trouble understanding the article"the" in the textbook I'm using. Hope you may help me and I'd appreciate your replies!

Simply this: In a reading of "Side by side English Course" Book 4, I found a "the" before "National Motors automobile company", but just in the same text below, there is no "the" before "National Motors". I don't think a definite article should be placed before a certain name. Is it possible that there is a typo in a textbook? :roll:
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Joe
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Re: the +name+company or name +company?

Post by Joe »

It wouldn't be the first time for a typo to be found in a textbook.
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Joe
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Re: the +name+company or name +company?

Post by Joe »

1) the National Motors automobile company
2) National Motors

As you explain it, and if I understand correctly, the "name" is National Motors (capitalized). In 1) there is the addition of "automobile company". Since National Motors Automobile Company is not a name, National Motors automobile company warrants a "the".
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :-| " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood

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linkenglish
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Re: the +name+company or name +company?

Post by linkenglish »

Thank you so much, Joe! It makes a good sense that proper nouns are capitalized while common nouns warrant “the”.

However, I just had a careful look at the same textbook and found a few more lines concerning “ the company “:

< Charles had a job interview a few days ago at the United Insurance Company.>

<It’s a busy afternoon at the Midtown Medical Clinic >

< In January Amelia was hired as a secretary by the Inter-Tel Company, which makes international telephone equipment.>

<In August she was chosen “Employee of the Month,” which is a great honor at Intel-Tel.

I’m still confused, especially the last two lines do not seem to apply to the above rule.Would you please explain a little more since I copied more complete sentences this time?

Thanks again, really!
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Joe
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Re: the +name+company or name +company?

Post by Joe »

I personally would not use "the" in the above cases as they all appear to be the actual company names. Or, more likely, I would drop "the" AND "Company/Clinic", as in the very last example (In August she was chosen “Employee of the Month,” which is a great honor at Inter-Tel).

However, note (https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-proper.htm) that we normally use "the" with the following sorts of names:
hotels, restaurants: the Ritz Hotel, the Peking Restaurant
banks: the National Westminster Bank
cinemas, theatres: the Royal Theatre, the ABC Cinema
museums: the British Museum, the National Gallery
buildings: the White House, the Crystal Palace
newspapers: the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Post
organisations: the United Nations, the BBC, the European Union

Given the above point, you can see that this is not a hard and fast rule.

For more details, please see:
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-proper.htm
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :-| " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood

eBooks: English Prepositions List | Essential Business Words | Learn English in Seven
linkenglish
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Re: the +name+company or name +company?

Post by linkenglish »

Thank you, Joe! I’ve learned a lot!
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