Posted by rfvv on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 5:39pm.
1. Seoul is the city. My family used to live in Seoul.
2. Seoul is the city where my family used to live.
3. Seoul where my family used to live is the city.
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#1 can be changed into #2 by combining two sentences in #1. What about #3? Is #3 grammatical? Is #3 the same as #2? •English
- Ms. Sue, Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 6:01pm
3 is awkward. 2 is best.
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Thank you for your help.
2. Seoul is the city where my family used to live.
3. Seoul where my family used to live is the city.
3-2. The Seoul where my family used to live is the city.
(Which one is grammatical, #3 or #3-2? Do we have to put 'the' before Seoul. Seoul is the capital city.)
Only #2 in your second set of sentences is correct. The others have non-standard word order.
Normally, we do not put "the" in front of the name of any city. The only time this would occur is if "The" is part of the city's name.
The Hague in the Netherlands
The Woodlands, Texas
Both #3 and #3-2 are grammatically correct, but they have slightly different meanings.
In #3, "Seoul where my family used to live is the city," the phrase "where my family used to live" functions as an adjective phrase modifying "Seoul." This sentence implies that there may be other places named Seoul, and you are specifically referring to the one where your family used to live.
In #3-2, "The Seoul where my family used to live is the city," the addition of "The" before "Seoul" emphasizes that you are talking about a specific Seoul. This could be used if there is any potential confusion about which Seoul you are referring to, or if you want to highlight its significance.
As for whether "the" should be used before "Seoul," it depends on how you are referring to it. If you are talking about the specific city named Seoul, it is grammatically correct to use "the Seoul." However, if you are referring to Seoul in a general sense or as a category of cities, the article "the" may not be necessary.