I have two product names, say AAA and BBB. In writing, I want to start sentence with them:
The AAA and BBB are two notable products that apply this technique.
Or
AAA and BBB are two notable products that apply this technique.
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1 Answer
Since they are product names (proper nouns) and you don't appear to be referring to singular instances of these, the definite article would not be used. It seems your usage is more along the lines of "BMW and Mercedes are German car manufacturers" where you are describing the companies/entities rather than "The BMW and Mercedes were parked next to each other" where the names are being used to describe specific objects.
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1I don't think it's because they are product names, but because they are company names, that cause the lack of article. "The Tiguan and Jetta are German car models." "The iPhone and Galaxy are the two most popular cell phones." Dec 14, 2019 at 0:15
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I see your point and it may depend on the specifics or what sounds right. For example, "Calendar and Docs are two products Google offers" seems more correct than "The Calendar and Docs ..." It might depend on whether the product name also represents something tangible. I could also the the definite article dropped from your examples still sounding correct (not to say it's technically grammatically correct, but grammar is influenced by usage to a degree). It also seems dependent on what the product name encompasses. I don't see "the Galaxy" unless it refers to a specific Galaxy offering. 1/2– JonathanDec 14, 2019 at 1:13
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"The iPhone" tends to be use more perhaps because it more or less refers to multiple iterations of a specific product rather than a diverse product line like Galaxy. 2/2– JonathanDec 14, 2019 at 1:14