Learn English – The + adjective + proper name

adjectivesarticles

I recently noticed that the honorific "The Honorable" is often followed by just a name ("The Honorable James Lloyd") rather than a noun ("The Honorable Judge James Lloyd"). That seemed fairly reasonable, as "The Honorable" is usually applied to specific classes of people, and we can drop out the noun without confusion.

But then I realized that this happens sometimes with other adjectives–take, for example, the television program The Wonderful John Acton. It seems strange to have the definite article there, because without the adjective, "The John Acton" just doesn't make sense.

Can anyone shed any light on the grammar behind this construction?

Best Answer

The can be used with names. It usually indicates one's uniqueness. It is similar to a short form of the (one and only)...

"Hi, I'm Steven Colbert." "THE Steven Colbert?!?"

Also, to draw a similarity:

Meet Logan Square Driver, the Steven Colbert of the Safe Streets Movement.

Something more familiar, maybe:

  • The fabulous Bette Midler may appear on the FOX series, according to ...
  • So nice to see the beautiful Cindy Crawford and her good looking husband still looking great.
  • The Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 American live-action/animated adventure film...
  • There are simply not enough good things I could say about the amazing David Copperfield and his wonderful show in Vegas.

There is no difference between the Honorable James Lloyd and the amazing David Copperfield. It's really not that unusual.

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