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Believer Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

which ones are articles modifying?

0Hi,02br
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00I happen to come across a brochure from Willlingdon Chuch in Canada and want to ask you some questions on the writings I found there. By the way, after reading the brochre, I found the church to be quite active with its various ministries and seems to be doing great things for the Lord.02br
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00We are excited to announce that the new mother's room is now available for moms to use. It is located next door to the Nursery across from the men's washroom on the main floor.02br
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00For more information please go to the Kid's information Centre located on the lower level.02br
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00the new mother's room -- What does 'the' modify?02br
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00the men's washroom -- I think, here, 'the' modifies the washroom like 'the children's center' where 'the' seems to modify the center.02br
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00the Kid's informaiton Centre -- I think, here, like the example just above this one, 'the' seems to modify the Centre.02br
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00Do you have any tips as to how to get a handle on this kind of matters?02br
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00Thank you. 0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 00I suspect that "Kids Information Center" would be a compound noun and "Men's Washroom" would not. To me, the difference is that with the compound nouns the words must be taken together to make sense. " I'm sure there's a standard definition somewhere of a compound noun.

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4 Answers
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0I was taught that the article modifies the noun, but at EF I often see "compound nouns." If "new mother's room" is a compound noun, then that's what "the" modifies.02br
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00I suspect that "Kids Information Center" would be a compound noun and "Men's Washroom" would not. To me, the difference is that with the compound nouns the words must be taken together to make sense.
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0the new mother's room = the room for new mothers OR the new room for mothers. Since it's 'now available', it must have been newly constructed, so I'd guess 'the new room for mothers'.02br
00(It should be 01u00mothers' 02u00room.) 02br
00the men's washroom = the washroom for men02br
00the Kid's Information Centre = the centre for info
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0Hi CJ,02br
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00I'm missing something. He's asking what "the" modifies. What's the significance of the underlined words in your answer?02br
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00Thanks02br
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00Best wishes, - A.02br
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00Edit. P.S. I thought the "new mother's room" was for nursing mothers.0-
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0Yes. My answer is pretty oblique. I don't think the function of determiners is to modify at all. 02br
00Underlined words show the correct use of apostrophes.02br
00<<I thought the "new mother's room" was for nursing mothers.>>02br
00I don't think so. The room is new, not the mothers. 02br
00"We are excited to announce that the 01
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