By Nouns, Uncountable nouns

Hi, Can't "it" refer to an uncountable noun? Yes, it can, generally speaking. Do you think it does in this case? 'Sperma' is not a word in modern English, as far as I know. Although I could be wrong, I took it to mean 'a single sperm'. What about these? 1. If water...

Can't "it" refer to an uncountable noun?What about these?1. If water is heated, it begins to boil (is "the" required before "water"?)2. If water, enclosed in a hermetically sealed glass, is heated, it may reach a temperature higher than 100 centigrade and will...

Hi,I have trouble knowign whether I should put articles for situations like below or not.1. Classroom management styles can be characterized along two dimensions: type (why not 'the type'??) of control ... and degreee (the degree OK??) of involvement ...I feel the word 'degree' is...

Countable: http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhyNoArticleHere/ggjmr/post.htm As for uncountable, you have already seen them: "Water boils at 100 centigrades (at the "standard" atmospheric pressure)" — here "water" refers to the verty substance, and the sentence...

Hi Ant,In one of the last posts you said: What I wanted to say is, whenever the indefinite article is used, the following noun is either countable or plays a "countable" role.Question 1:Emphasis is on the whenever. This is the same thing I said above. Let me rephrase it again, even...

When you specify the properties of something referred to by a noun that usually has an abstract, categorical or very general meaning, that automatically changes the meaning of it so that it denotes a specific instance of that general category. For example, in GG's sentence, instead of the...

.These words function differently.Youth and membership can be countable or uncountable nouns:Youth is carefree.There is a youth / There are three youths standing on the corner.Membership is free.I have had a membership / They have had their memberships since 1984.Crowd and host, like group and...

1. Much thanks also to everyone I had the privilege of working with at McGraw-Hill.2. And ever so much thanks and appreciation for George, who has brought me the gift of finally having both love in my heart and work that I love, all at the same time.According to what I know, "thanks" is...

Thank you, CalifJim and Mr. M. No, no. I wasn't trying to put anyone who answers my question in a dubious position as having to prove or disprove anyone in an excellent standing like Mr. M. I was trying to find an answer to this question, which I consider important to know the answer to.You...

Hi,Can anyone please tell me why Mr. M said what he said here in a post named 'article'? When you have something specific as payment of 400 dollars, why is the post-referencing an uncountable noun isn't as attractive as the post-referencing a countable noun or isn't right as the...