genius

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hanuman_2000  #207204  Sat, 18 Mar 06 04:33 AM

Hello,

1. What genius!

2.He is a genius.

If  "genius" is countable then why  "a" has not been used in the sentence (1)?

Is (1) correct?

  
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paco2004  #207217  Sat, 18 Mar 06 05:57 AM
Hi, Hanuman

#1 is wrong. It should be "What a genius he is!".

paco
  
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khoff  #207225  Sat, 18 Mar 06 07:00 AM
Paco, and Hanuman - "What genius!" is possible, but it is not the same as "What a genius (he is)!"  In "what genius," "genius" refers not to a person (a genius) but to an abstract quality, like "wisdom" or "beauty."  Thomas Edison supposedly said "Genius is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration."  (It would be quite different if he had said "A genius is ...")  "Genius" (and also "beauty") is countable when it refers to a person and uncountable when it refers to a quality.
  
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paco2004  #207232  Sat, 18 Mar 06 07:44 AM
I see! Yes, "what genius" could be correct when "gennius" is used in that sense. Thanks for the remark.

paco
  
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