the police

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I called the police.
Why is 'the' needed before 'police'?

Thanks.

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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,200 • Replies: 20

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Sorry Yoong Liat but, I just can't help it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF-yU7Rq2XQ
Laughing

Don't call them and ask though.

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Hi TTH

I'm still not clear why it's 'the police', and not just 'police'.

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Hi TTH

I'm still not clear why it's 'the police', and not just 'police'.

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Hi Yoong Liat

Well, give me a few minutes and I will call the police and see what they say. Don't you or anyone else do this Shocked

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I don't know either, but I also wouldn't say "I called friend". Yet, I would say "I called Bob". Maybe, and note the 'maybe', if the objective isn't precise, we use the definate article "the". Sorry, that's too vague to be an answer.

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Oh dear! This question is a hard nut. I think the police will find it hard to solve.

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Okay, I called and this is what I was told:
"I dunno"
I am serious btw

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Hey, in New York, you can live in Brooklyn. You can also live in THE Bronx.

Explain that one when you've got the time.

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I am not calling again Laughing

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Well, of course not. They don't seem at all well informed.

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The is a noun marker or (article). There are three articles in the English language, ie, a, an and the.

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roger wrote:

Hey, in New York, you can live in Brooklyn. You can also live in THE Bronx.

Explain that one when you've got the time.

Simple enough. The Bronx was originally a farm owned by a Dutch family called Bronck. When people went there, they said they were going to the Bronck's. The spelling changed, but the "the" stuck.

Wish I had something as definitive about the police. I don't. The following is a guess. I think the word "department" is understood. You're calling the police (department). Like I said. Just guessing.

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Thanks, everybody, for your reply.

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Hope you see this Yoong.

If you told me you "called police", I may think you had said the word loudly.

If you called out the word police you could be said to have called "police".

To avoid confusion we say called "the" police to differentiate between calling out the word and the physical act of telephoning that service.

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Sglass wrote:

What do you mean?

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It's quite a normal construction.

Organisations, bodies and entities such as the army, the navy, the government, the Harper Valley PTA, the jews, the canadians etc etc etc all require "the" as part of their title.

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Thanks, Mc Tag.

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OK Roberta that was good.

Now I live on THE Big Island, THE Big Island is actually A Volcano; therefore, I live on AN island that is actually A Volcano and it is called THE Big Island.

Now don't tell me that I don't have all my articles in a row. Laughing

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