Abstract We show that a complete first-order theory T is distal provided it has a model M such that the theory of the Shelah expansion of M is distal.

Abstract Answering a special case of a question of Chernikov and Simon, we show that any non-dividing formula over a model M in a distal NIP theory is a member of a consistent definable family, definable over M.

Abstract We consider the question of when an expansion of a first-order topological structure has the property that every open set definable in the expansion is definable in the original structure. This question has been investigated by Dolich, Miller and Steinhorn in the setting of ordered structures as part of their work on the property of having o-minimal open core. We answer the question in a fairly general setting and provide conditions which in practice are often easy to check. We give a further characterisation in the special case of an expansion by a generic predicate.