[susan53]

Sorry really busy period so I'm going to have to take these questions one at a time. First of all the question about the article...

This is an interesting one, because it seems to me it links to what we said here about the optional omission of the article when talking about people's roles - eg Barack Obama is (the) President of the United States

In both cases (ie your example and the one above) the use of the article is optional and in both cases we're talking about the function of the person/thing. Some more examples :

Mr John Roberts, a Panama expert who served as general counsel on the Senate Armed Services Committee
...The Qing dynasty that served as example for the Nguyen emperors
...the shaman , who functioned as priest, soothsayer and healer
Until 844, Alcácer functioned as center for the collection of taxes in the lower Sado valley
...and is used as prop controller for the bottom hatch and wench of the Firefly-clash ship 'Serenity'.

However, although plenty of examples without the article exist, it does seem to be much more usual to include it when things are involved. It's much more common to omit it when people are involved.

[Beatrix]

Quote susan53

Sorry really busy period so I'm going to have to take these questions one at a time. First of all the question about the article...

This is an interesting one, because it seems to me it links to what we said here about the optional omission of the article when talking about people's roles - eg Barack Obama is (the) President of the United States

In both cases (ie your example and the one above) the use of the article is optional and in both cases we're talking about the function of the person/thing. Some more examples :

Mr John Roberts, a Panama expert who served as general counsel on the Senate Armed Services Committee
...The Qing dynasty that served as example for the Nguyen emperors
...the shaman , who functioned as priest, soothsayer and healer
Until 844, Alcácer functioned as center for the collection of taxes in the lower Sado valley
...and is used as prop controller for the bottom hatch and wench of the Firefly-clash ship 'Serenity'.

However, although plenty of examples without the article exist, it does seem to be much more usual to include it when things are involved. It's much more common to omit it when people are involved.

And in all these cases (examples), the omitted article is THE? Is there any chance of using A in some of them? For ex. "The Qing dynasty that served as AN example for the Nguyen emperors..."

Thank you, in these forums I feel like a candy-lover locked in a candy shop where she can eat as much candy as she wishes.