Search results for 'tag:Indefinite articles tag:Abstract nouns' matching tags 'Indefinite articles' and 'Abstract nouns'

Re: the cases of abstract nouns taking "thes"

Believer — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 09:27:03 GMT

Thank you, Mr. M.

It helped me a lot.

Would you say the underlined part is a restrictive phrase or a modifying phrase. If it is either one, then would you kindly tell me what is the difference between a modifying phrase and a restrictive phrase?

A beauty of the Princess of Bigman's land

The beauty of a woman

Also, if I recall it correctly, the action of putting the indefinite article "a" in front of uncountables are OK?? but the problem is, as you seem to have said, that it turns the uncounble nouns into sort of countable nouns. OK. Are there anything we should be aware of when we decide to take that road of turning uncountable nouns into sort of countable nouns?

Thank you.

Re: the cases of abstract nouns taking "thes"

Believer — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 12:33:52 GMT

Mr. M.

Lately I think I am seeing more of what looks be uncountable nouns followed by what looks to be retrictive clauses and precede by the indefinite article "a." Is that right?

How about this? IS THIS RIGHT?

A beauty of the Princess of Bigman's land is exquisite.

Can an uncountable which is followed by a restrictive clause be modified with the indefinte article "a" and not the usual definite article "the"?

Uncountable noun that is preceded by the "a"

victorycountry — Sun, 29 May 2005 11:48:03 GMT

Hi,

According to the "Longman Student Grammar" abstract nouns (such as education, kindness) can have countable and uncountable.

(e.g.)
1. What's your highest level of education? => uncountable
Although she was a girl she wanted an education => countable

In the countable case, can "an education" be any education such as primary school, middle school, or University?

According to some other contents on the indefinite article "a/an", the "a(n)" specifies types or particular instances of nouns.

(e.g)
1) a cruel kindness => what type of kindess? cruel => The "cruel" modifies the uncountable "kindness"
2) I have not seen you for a long time => How long haven't you seen him for? for a long time => "long" specifies or modifies the uncountable "time"
3) There was a poor attendence at the meeting => How big attendence did the meeting have?
"a poor attendence" => the "poor" modifies or specifies the uncountable "attendence"

In above cases, do you regard those uncountable nouns as countable nouns?

It's still a bit confusing me because of following examples.

a) Because our charity event had such high attendance, we have reached our donation goals.(One of TOEIC questions)
=> I thought it has to be "a high attendance" as in (3), it's "a poor attendance" not "poor attendance"

b) There is great support for their case.
(An article on "Liverpool" at BBC Newspaper)
=> Why it isn't "a great support" even though "support" is uncountable if above explanation is correct, isn't that have to be "a great support"?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Countable Or Uncountable?

paco2004 — Sun, 24 Apr 2005 11:56:17 GMT

Hello Infinity.

I'm a mere English learner from Japan, but could you allow me to throw my 2 cents on your question?

Frankly speaking, I'd say you'd better give up the hope you could get a conclusive answer to the question. I have raised a similar question before in this forum but I could not get enough persuasive responses (Post:56071).

As for some nouns (especially substantive nouns), English distinction between countable/uncountable seems mostly reasonable cross-linguistically. But for some nouns (above all abstract nouns), the distinction cannot be logically understood to non-native English speakers. I think we should take this kind of distinction as a matter belonging to the realm of linguistic habit particular to English rather than to the realm of universally available reasons. Countableness for some nouns is different even between similar European languages. For example, "information" is deemed as uncountable in English but it is countable in French and German. So I think we had better learn English's countableness of nouns without asking why it is so. (BBC grammar QA).

Nevertheless, I'd like to add about your question what I feel personally. I think English people someway has a tendency to take a thing as countable in the case they could feel there would be things similar to that thing. For example, let me take the case of "knowledge". When you say "knowledge" without adding the indefinite article "a", it means a general and indefinable amount/sort of "acquaintance with something through experience and intelligence". But when you say "He has a knowledge of biology", the noun phrase "a knowledge of biology" is interpreted to imply "a certain sort/amount of knowledge on biology such as that you can imagine other people also might have one similar to that. It is my humble opinion.

Anyway as I'm a beginner of English learning and don't know much about English, you'd better not believe me so much. Our teachers and other native speakers must give you much much better answers. Please wait until then.

paco

Re: Grammar: 'food' and 'clothes'

miriam — Sat, 22 May 2004 07:35:33 GMT

In English, there are 'countable' and 'uncountable' nouns.
Countable (or count) nouns are those that can be counted and which are distinguishable as separate entities. We can say one table, two tables, several tables, many tables. These nouns take definite and indefinite articles and admit a plural form.

Uncountable (or mass) nouns, on the other hand, are nouns that take 'zero article' (no article) and they do not have a plural form. These are nouns that cannot be identified as separate units but can be 'measured'. Examples of mass nouns are iron, butter, ink, sugar, money, and most abstract nouns (hope, help, perseverance, etc.). In English, we do not say 'a milk' or 'two milks', but 'some milk', 'a pint of milk', a 'bottle of milk', etc.

There are also nouns with 'dual class membership': they can be used as mass or count, depending on the context. Often, these nouns have a different meaning in the two classes:
"A glass (countable) is made of glass (mass)."
"The boy was threw a stone (countable) at a wall made of stone (mass)."

Miriam