Re: noun and article

CalifJim — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:13:38 GMT

Anonymous
Are there many nouns like this?

Give it a shove-off a steep hill

This should be Give it a shove off a steep hill. Perhaps the intent was to place a dash there, indicating a pause in speaking: Give it a shove -- off a steep hill. (There are hundreds of nouns derived from phrasal verbs, however.) Compare: Why don't you take a long walk -- on a short pier? (= Go away and stop bothering me.) There is no noun walk-on here.

Anonymous
Why is there no article in front of the word 'committee'?
It was Mr. Lee, who prevented the bill from getting out of committee last spring.

committee is being used as a state of being or as a (metaphoric) place, like being in prison. Matters may be stuck in committee, for example. That means that the committee has not yet taken any action. Sometimes it takes a long time before things get out of committee. That is, it takes a long time before the committee acts upon the matter. To be "in committee" is to be halted -- to experience no progress.

Anonymous
Can we use any product name like a countable noun?...How about a plane? Can we put an article?

Yes. No problem.

noun and article

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:57:43 GMT

Hi,

1. I am not that familiar with the words like the one here where it seems to stem from a verb? Are there many nouns like this?

Give it a shove-off a steep hill

2. Why is there no article in front of the word 'committee'?

It was Mr. Lee, who prevented the bill from getting out of committee last spring.

3. Can we use any product name like a countable noun?

a Big Mac

a Sneaker

a Ding Dong -- I made this up.

a Cadillac

How about a plane? Can we put an article?

We bought a T-400. -- I made the name up too.

ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: noun and article

noun and article