It occurs to me that making the nouns singular forces the use of an article. For example, "...chanted slogans" is okay but it has to be "..chanted a/the slogan." Similarly, in Mr. Tom's example "...barricaded

. You are incorrect. A singular countable noun requires a determiner of some sort. I have a head, I have a heart, I have a wife, I have a car, I have a headache. .

Hmmm. I thought that a + singular countable noun was the same as zero article + plural countable noun. You're absolutely right. The original sentence may have led the hobbits to go looking for others' dirty hands to wash because

... a tells the listener that we are being generic. If you wanted him to wash his own weary face, you'd need a possessive determiner (your) Hmmm. I thought that a + singular countable noun was the same as zero article + plural countable

Hi, Should I treat what is in a pair of quotation marks just like an adjective without any difference in terms of whether to place an article or not? Yes. I feel like you have to have an article, 'a' or 'the' or 'an',

Grammar Geek, You are right, voyage is a countable noun so requires a determiner. Also, I am sorry for the typo "dengerous". Best Regards, Sabya

CalifJim wrote: difference is a countable noun. Countable nouns in the singular require a determiner. no is a determiner. not is not a determiner. not negates the verb. So you can have the positive statement There is with the determiner no and

The only thing that can come after a preposition to form a prepositional phrase is a noun phrase, usually a noun accompanied by its preceding determiner and perhaps an adjective. A relative clause may be added. The noun itself may be a gerund.

difference is a countable noun. Countable nouns in the singular require a determiner. no is a determiner. not is not a determiner. not negates the verb. So you can have the positive statement There is with the determiner no and noun the

Beauty is ambiguous. It's both a proper noun, and thus the name of a person, and an abstract noun referring to the property of being beautiful. The most usual meaning of the beauty is the beautiful woman . the beast is that particular