Using Articles After Verbs: The Case of 'Appoint'
When it comes to using articles after verbs in English, the verb to appoint is a prime example of a transitive verb that requires a direct object following it. This article explores the rules and usage of articles when appointing individuals to positions or roles.
Transitive Verb Basics
Transitive verbs are verbs that require at least one object to complete their meaning. In the case of to appoint, the direct object is the person or thing that is being appointed. For instance:
“The president appoints the members of his cabinet.”
It is imperative to include the direct object when using appoint. Omitting the direct object, such as:
“The president appoints.”
or
“The club met and appointed.”
results in an incomplete sentence.
Article Usage Depending on Context
Whether to use an article after appoint depends on whether you are referring to a specific instance or a general role. Let's break this down with examples:
Referring to Specific Titles or Positions
When referring to a specific title or position, use an article:
“The director of the project”
Conversely, when referring to a general role or title without specifying a particular instance, no article is used:
“I appointed a new manager for the department.”
In these cases, the article the is used to specify the position being appointed to:
“The club appointed Henry as secretary.”
Here, no article is used as the position is not specific but rather a general title.
Examples and Usage Guidelines
Let’s explore more examples of using articles with the verb appoint:
Personal Names
When the direct object is a personal name, no article is used:
“I appointed Jake to be my proofreader.”
Similarly:
“The mad emperor appointed the horse as his successor.”
Nouns and Their Articles
If the direct object is a noun, it takes the appropriate form and article as it would in any other sentence:
“The church appoints a new pastor.”
And similarly:
“The god Brahma appointed the rishis to hear his wisdom.”
Nepotism and Appointments
For more specific scenarios, such as nepotism, the appropriate form and article are used:
“A nepotist appoints a close relative to high positions.”
And:
“The judge appointed a new public defender for this case.”
Checking Your Usage with Passives
A good way to check if you have used the correct form of the article is to turn the statements into passive sentences. If the direct object can be made the subject of a passive sentence without changing its form, then you have used the correct form of the article. For example:
Passive Sentence Examples
“Jake was appointed by me to be my proofreader.”
“The horse was appointed by the mad emperor as his successor.”
“A new pastor is appointed by the church.”
“The rishis were appointed by the god Brahma to hear his wisdom.”
“A close relative is appointed by a nepotist to high positions.”
“A new public defender was appointed by the judge for this case.”
These passive sentences should confirm that the direct object is correctly formed and used in the sentence.