It doesn't work to omit the article with big tower because tower is a concrete noun. It works to omit the with evening because evening is an abstract noun. (You can't actually touch an evening as if it were an object.) Abstract nouns in

Should I just accept the fact some uncountable nouns, especially those that have abstract meanings, do not go well or don't not fit with a verb showing possession such as 'have'? Yes, you probably should accept that. It's probably a lot

Grammar Geek wrote: Sales is used for the abstract noun meaning "relating to selling." Even if the person is responsible only for one product or one customers, the title is still sales engineer. You could, I suppose, tease a co-worker by

Sales is used for the abstract noun meaning "relating to selling." Even if the person is responsible only for one product or one customers, the title is still sales engineer. You could, I suppose, tease a co-worker by calling him a "sale

Dear Yankee, Since you searched for 'an advice', the hit count is different. Google "advices" and you should find ~6,000,000 hits. The point that I have been trying to make is the countable/uncountable nature of an abstract noun. So not only the

Hi again, If some uncountable abstract nouns can become countable depending on context and some cannot (i.e., forever stay uncountable), then what is the trick or the rule of thumb that I can use to separate them ? I'm inclined to think there

Hello Clive, Thank you for your input. However, I now feel uneasy. If some uncountable abstract nouns can become countable depending on context and some cannot (i.e., forever stay uncountable), then what is the trick or the rule of thumb that I

Shouldn't there be a source, from which we, ESL learners, can learn abstract nouns' nuances? Thanks Hoa Thai Google for 'abstract nouns' and you should be able to find whatever you want to know about abstract nouns.

Hoa Thai wrote: First, thank you for your reply. Now if you can help me a bit further, I would appreciate very much. If advice is an uncountable abstract noun, then advices must be wrong, right? ( Yesterday, my father gave me his advice. Today,

First, thank you for your reply. Now if you can help me a bit further, I would appreciate very much. If advice is an uncountable abstract noun, then advices must be wrong, right? (Yesterday, my father gave me his advice. Today, my mother gives me