PDA

View Full Version : by the police

boboy234567
09-05-2009, 12:17 AM
The man was caught by (the) police.


by police or by the police?


Thanks
Marius Hancu
09-05-2009, 03:24 AM
Both OK. ............
morpho
09-05-2009, 04:01 AM
Check these sites out:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jkAqhAkchVEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=by+the+police&hl=el#v=onepage&q=&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=O_zjPwAACAAJ&dq=by+police&hl=el
OddThomas
09-05-2009, 06:57 AM
The man was caught by police tells us that police caught the man, not another group (shopkeepers, neighbors, family, concerned citizens, or the like).

The man was caught by the police tells us that the police succeeded in catching the man.
morpho
09-05-2009, 06:58 AM
Well,but in both sentences the police caught the man..Right?
Rusty
09-05-2009, 04:24 PM
The man was caught by (the) police.


by police or by the police?


Thanks
"The police" usually refers to a particular group of police. The city police, the police who covered the case, the police who were on the scene, etc.
Use "police" when referring to police in general, in contrast to other groups. Police caught the man, not firemen, volunteers, solidiers, etc.