Вживання артикля та займенників some / any із абстрактними іменниками

1. Абстрактні іменники вживаються без артикля, коли вони виражають абстрактні поняття у загальному сенсі:

Knowledge is power.

I like music.

She teaches geography at school.

2. Абстрактні іменники вживаються із означеним артиклем, коли вони мають при собі означення, яке слугує для того, щоб віднести цю ознаку, стан, почуття та ін. до будь-якої особи або предмета:

The honour of our country is very dear to us.

To the joy of his friends he recovered very quickly.

I like the music of this ballet.

3. Абстрактні іменники вживаються із неозначеним артиклем, коли йдеться про різновиди якостей або почуттів. У цьому випадку іменник зазвичай має при собі означення, а неозначений артикль має значення a kind of, such (такого роду, який):

He showed a patience (a kind of patience) that I had never expected of him. (Пор.: You must learn patience.)

He spoke with an enthusiasm (such enthusiasm) which inspired us all.

Exercise 20. Insert the articles where it is necessary:

1. ….. chief aim of ….. philharmonic societies is to develop ….. love for ….. good music among ….. people. 2. ….. thermometer ….. instrument for measuring ….. temperature. 3. ….. temperature today Is not so high as It was yesterday. 4. ….. observation and ….. experience are two great teachers. 5 ….. air is necessary for ….. life. 6. Ester made ….. excellent speech at ….. meeting last night. 7. ….. length….. breadth and ….. height of ….. cube are equal. 8. He deserves ….. punishment. 9. Can you find ….. time for this work? 10. I have noticed ….. great change in him lately. II. I have ….. great deal of ….. con­fidence in that man. 12. Every machine requires some sort of ….. power to operate it. 13 ….. history is his subject, especially ….. history of ….. Middle Ages. 14 ….. poetry of Shakespeare is beautiful. 15. There was ….. expression in his eyes that I could not understand. 16 He finished his work without ….. difficulty. 17. ….. task presented ….. difficulty which we could not overcome at first. 18. He was not discouraged by ….. difficulty of ….. task.

Exercise 21. Fill in the blanks with articles wherever necessary. Analyze the use of articles with the abstract nouns in the extract.

His whole expression was stamped with ... suffering and ... kind of ... weary patience. Observing these signs of ... severe and far from recent stroke, Andrew was conscious of ... sudden shock of ... dismay. There was ... odd silence.

"I hope you will like it here," Doctor Page remarked at ... length, speaking slowly and with ... difficulty, "I'm not afraid of ... work," Andrew answered awkwardly.

... even deeper immobility settled on Page's face. As Andrew went down to ... supper his thoughts were pain­ fully confused. It would be months before Doctor Page was fit for ... work, if, indeed, he were ever fit for ... work again. Andrew was young, strong, and had no objection to ... extra work in which Page's illness might involve him.