http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aNominative+tag%3aCountable+nouns+tag%3aDatesSearch results for 'tag:Nominative tag:Countable nouns tag:Dates' matching tags 'Nominative', 'Countable nouns', and 'Dates'en-USCSMOD (Build: 3273.32735)http://www.englishforums.com/English/LessonIssueDescriptiveAdjective-Choice/ddkkk/post.htm#268372Sun, 17 Sep 2006 13:23:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:268372mister micawberActually I think I have already said what I had to say in my response to your post about the cats and alligators But I ll go over some of your concerns I think I saw from a post here that kind of said that many times having descriptive adjectives in front of UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS trigger the need necesssity to have the indefinite article a I don t think there is the need but certainly there is the possibility I have great faith in you I have a great sadness in my heart for their plight and I think Mr M said to the effect that in many cases the choice to put a or not to put it is optional for the cases like one below a great happiness vs just great happiness generally optional because both are possible each case demands its own decision on which should be used Here I think happiness is one hundred percent uncountable noun not a variable noun No we have no context and the noun itself is capable of either form His dog is a great happiness in his life Sounds good isn t it I think the writer is talking about a kind of happiness and not the general term happiness I agree His dog is great happiness in his life Sounds good I think and the writer seems to be saying that his dog is great happiness in a general sense not to mean any kind of happiness I don t agree You have set up a predicate nominative His dog has brought great happiness into his life would be fine I leave further analysis to you 1 So can I say in almost all the cases the choice to put a or not to put a when you have some descriptive adjectives in front of them depend on the context and perspective of the writer Yes that sounds good but more critical is the semantic meaning 2 Can you give me some cases where the choices as described above in not available Not offhand but I am sure there are many I am sure that not all candidate nouns are capable of such permutations 3 Can you check if these are right This form of words is fantastic English OK This form of words is perfectly acceptable English OK This form of words is good English OK This form of words is a fantastic English Not so This form of words is a perfectly acceptable English Not so This form of words is a good English Not soThis form of words is a regional English OK English and Englishes are specific concepts in linguistics perhaps that is why the countable form is not so attractive in your sentences Context flexibility semantics 4 Right now I have this uneasy feeling when I try to put what look to be descriptive adjectives in front of uncountable nouns because I am afraid I might accidently turn them into paticular kinds of something and not to mean generally Do you think my feeling regarding that is unwarranted because the control is in me whether I want to make them to mean kinds of something or refer or use them to mean something in general terms Fear not just think what you are trying to say are you speaking of a general concept or an individual instance and choose accordingly 5 Can I be able to put a in front of uncountable nouns which have what I think are descriptive adjectives Generally yes if you realize that it then becomes countable Is something in apostrophes qualify like good above qualify as a descriptive adjective Yes Help I hope this did