2012/03/28

成田空港は英語の使い方に注意した方が良い。「the」の使い方


I haven't posted in a while because I took a trip to the US. It was interesting to visit, especially because it had been a while.
It's been a while since
~して以来ずいぶん日がたつ。/久しぶりに~する。/~するなんて久しぶりだ。/ずいぶん長い間~していなかった。/最近[ここしばらく]~していない。(definition from Eijiro on the Web)

On the way back, I was waiting for the Narita Express when I noticed this sign.
  • This is the terminal 1 of Narita Airport.
  • This is terminal 1 of Narita Airport.
  • This is Terminal 1 of Narita Airport. <- treating it as a proper noun might be best

Some people think "the" is tricky, but actually there are not so many special cases, and only a few rules. One of the rules is this:

Don't use "the" in the case of a name with a title.

You don't say the Mr. Bell (usually), nor do you say the Queen Elizabeth; you say Mr. Bell or Queen Elizabeth. In the same way, we don't say the Mount Fuji; it's Mount Fuji.

Numbered buildings, platforms, and terminals are the same.
  • The train you want is at platform 3.
  • His office is in building 5. <- one building in a complex of buildings

If the building my classroom is in were a giant space station or complex of some sort, I could say that my classroom is on level 6. However, our building is a rather small one between Shin-nihonbashi Station, Mitsukoshi-mae Station, and Kanda Station. As a result, I can just say that our classroom is on the sixth floor. Make an appointment with me and come by for a visit!

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