MSGID: 1:153/716.0 1fdffb40
REPLY: 2:221/6.0 61fb73fc
CHRS: IBMPC 2
Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AK>  Is "the" in "Bill Clinton, the President of United States 
AK>  of America" correct? 

         
          The article is optional with words like "president".

          The definite article is required in "The United States of America"
because that is the official name of the country.  In the common parlance we
often say "the US" or something similar... i.e. retaining the article.  "The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" is treated in the same
manner.  Colloquially, we often refer to it as "the UK".

          WRT official titles like "President of the United States", or even
"former President of the United States", the article may be left out.  Among
Fidonetters this title may be abbreviated as "the POTUS".  But AFAIK none of
them are journalists, who say things like "US President Joe Biden".  In such
cases they are using the abbreviated name of the country as an adjective.  I
can't think of anybody else, however, who would actually say that... [grin].

          In case my last paragraph left you & others a bit confused, I will
share with you my own experience as an actress in an elementary school play.
Years ago, when only formal English was allowed in the classroom, one of the
lines I memorized was "I'm So-and-So, president of the Ladies' Flower Club."
IOW... I regard this usage as well established & therefore have no objection
when others employ it in reference to some author, movie director, etc.  :-)




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