People on the Internet say that it’s based on the context, but they suggest the form without the. However, when I read the Wikipedia article, the first sentence is the following: The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United States (US or U.S.) and America, is a federal republic … Read more
I’ve sometimes seen proper nouns put in all capital letters. And it’s not because the entire sentence is in capitals, or because the person is “shouting”. For example, I’ve seen in the CIA factbook … chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5 … Read more
Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. (Harry Potter) Why is ‘a’ put, although the Dursleys have only child? Is it implying one of the Dursleys? Answer “A” in this situation is just … Read more
In Italian, if I am referring to Southern Europe, I could say Sud Europa (literally “South Europe”), or Europa meridionale. Is South Europe acceptable in English, or could I say “the south of Europe”? Answer Southern Europe is generally the preferred term. The south of Europe and South Europe are sometimes used. See Google Ngram … Read more
