Confused...... Noun or not to be a noun

wizcoder

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I came across this quiz and the question is this.
24. やまだせんせいは とうきょう( )だいがくの せんせいじゃありません。
[Yamada sensee wa Tookyoo( )daigaku no sensee ja arimasen.]

(note: the University of Tokyo)
の /no
よ /yo
ね /ne
X ( Meaning blank )

So I answered (X)-(4) and it says "Correct! 'The University of Tokyo' is 'Tookyoo daigaku'.". But when I select (1)-(の) it says "Try again. 'The University of Tokyo' is a proper noun.".... which is in fact true.

Okay so now lets go to question #30:
30. スミスさんは ロンドン( ) だいがくの がくせいじゃありません。
[Sumisu san wa Rondon( ) daigaku no gakusee ja arimasen.]

(note: a university in London)
の /no
よ /yo
ね /ne
X ( As In no particle needed )
So I answered (X)-(4) and it says "Try again. You need a particle.". But when I select (1)-(の) it says "Correct! NO connects two nouns, as in 'Noun1 NO Noun2'."

So I googled if Tokyo is a proper noun and it is.

Then I googled if London is a noun and it's showing as it's a noun and a proper noun.
Proper Noun: Proper Nouns | Grammar | EnglishClub
Noun: Nouns @ The Internet Grammar of English

So the question here is how am I suppose to know when to use a particle if some words are considered both nouns and proper nouns lol... im confused!
 
As the answer says, the University of Tokyo is a proper noun. This word refers to a specific university in Tokyo, whose name is 東京大学 in Japanese. Whereas a university in London doesn't refer to a specific one. It just refers to a university located in London, which is described as ロンドンの大学 in Japanese.

In conclusion;
東京大学(proper noun): the University of Tokyo
東京の大学: a university (located) in Tokyo (e.g. 東京大学, 早稲田大学, 慶応大学, etc., etc.)
トロント大学(proper noun):the University of Toronto
トロントの大学: a university (located) in Toronto (University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University, etc., etc.)
 
Last edited:
As the answer says, the University of Tokyo is a proper noun. This word refers to a specific university in Tokyo, whose name is 東京大学 in Japanese. Whereas a university in London doesn't refer to a specific one. It just refers to a university located in London, which is described as ロンドンの大学 in Japanese.

In conclusion;
東京大学(proper noun): the University of Tokyo
東京の大学: a university (located) in Tokyo (e.g. 東京大学, 早稲田大学, 慶応大学, etc., etc.)
トロント大学(proper noun):the University of Toronto
トロントの大学: a university (located) in Toronto (University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University, etc., etc.)

Thanks this clears it up a lot. It just deals with being specific to being non-specific.
 
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