[austechwriter] Re: A nice grammatical question to end off the week!
- From: "Michael Lewis" <mlewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 15:45:52 +1000
Bridget Knaus:
> I've been queried in my use of English by a developer (how dare he!!).
I've
> been using the article "the" before referring to a server, he says:
>
> <snip>The documentation regularly refers to ERS using a "the". For example
> "Configuring the Expert Rule Server" or "Using the ERS via a .NET Client"
>
> I think this is akward. You would never see the phrase "Configuring the
> SQL-Server" in microsoft help.
>
> It should be "Configuring SQL-Server", "Configuring Expert Rule Server"
and
> "Using ERS via a .NET Client"<snip>
>
> The MS Manual of Style uses an article, but the help for SQL Server
doesn't.
> What do you think (apart from the fact he can't spell)?
Seems to me that "Expert Rule Server" is the full name of a product. You
wouldn't write "Configuring the Microsoft Word".
Including an article works if "server" is a generic or "common" noun, with
"Expert Server" as a modifier. If the product name is "Expert Rule", then by
all means use "the" -- but don't capitalise "server".
It's an easy trap to fall into, because "server" is inherently a common
noun, but it can be incorporated into a proper noun like "Expert Rule
Server".
Michael Lewis
--------------------------------------
Brandle Pty Limited, Sydney, Australia
http://www.brandle.com.au
--------------------------------------
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