The Use of Articles with Uncountable Nouns
Nouns
Common nouns Proper Names
Countable nouns |
Uncountable nouns |
||
Concrete |
Abstract |
Concrete |
Abstract |
Man Pen Dog |
Idea, doubt, answer, effort, opinion, fact, belief, lie, conclusion, job, government, holiday, mistake, plan, principle, question, reply, sentence, visits, word |
(names of materials) coal, toothpaste, water, shampoo, paper, ink |
Love, anger, beauty, curiosity, dismay excitement, freedom, grace, happiness, impatience, jealously, pride, time, violence etc. +nouns of adverbial character denoting actions, activity, process: admiration, applause, advice, research, work. |
Both countable and uncountable: chance, change, difficulty, language, profit, reason, temptation, torture, trouble, war.
Nouns denoting unique objects/notions are neither countable nor uncountable: The sun, the moon, the past, the plural.
§12. The Use of Articles with Uncountable Concrete Nouns (names of materials)
X
Uncountable concrete nouns are generally used without any article (nominating function)
These sleeping pills should be dissolved in __water.
I knitted the socks myself of __thick grey wool.
I ticked off the names written in __violet ink.
THE
The definite article in its restricting function is used when names of materials are restricted in their quantity or by reason of locality.
The boss took up a pen and picked a fly out of the ink.
Together they walked through the slush and mud.
No restriction in: a bottle of milk, a cup of tea;
The ground was covered with __snow. The pond was covered with __ice.
Note
The same rules are applied to several uncountable concrete nouns which are not names of materials: machinery, equipment, furniture
She hoped she would save enough money to buy __new furniture.
The furniture they had bought was a new one.
Sometimes, owing to a change in meaning, names of materials become countable:
when various sorts of food products and materials are meant:
They are now giving you bad tees in the club.
There’s a beautiful display of cottons in the shop window.
But! such cases as the waters of the Pacific, the snows of Kilimanjaro, the sands of the Sahara refer to stylistic devices (we do not deal with change in meaning).
when a portion of food or drink is meant:
If you want to please the boy, buy him an ice.
We went into the pub and I ordered two whiskies.
A salad and two coffees will do.
when the noun indicates an object made of a certain material:
A full glass of orange juice stood beside him.
There was a tin of sardines on the table.
§13. The Use of Articles with Uncountable Abstract Nouns
X (the nominating function)
1) As a general rule, uncountable abstract nouns are used without any article:
__Indifference and __pride look much alike, and he probably thought I was proud.
I knew that __generosity would have been wasted on him.
2) Sometimes an uncountable abstract noun (UAN) is used with an attribute but has no article. It's explained by
a) the nature of the attribute. In some cases the attribute doesn't bring out a special aspect of the notion expressed by the noun. The attribute may express:
degree great, perfect, sufficient, huge, tremendous, immense, sheer, utter, complete, infinite, endless, major
qualify the N from the point of view of time
modern, ancient, impending, eternal, daily, contemporary, further, final, original
nationality English literature, French poetry, Dutch government
geography Moscow, London, world
authenticity real, genuine, authentic, symbolic, true
give the noun social characteristic bourgeons, capitalist, racial, religious
I have __perfect confidence in him.
She has __great experience in her work.
They talked about __modern poetry.
It's three o'clock by __Moscow time.
!BUT the definite article is used with the combinations French poetry, modern art, American literature, German philosophy when a particular period is mentioned (a limiting attribute is used):
the Russian literature of that period,
the French poetry of the 19-th century
b) by the nature of the noun – nouns of verbal character denote actions, activity, process
admiration, advice, applause, approval, assistance, concern, encirclement, guidance, information, permission, progress, recognition, research, torture, trade, work (16)
change (сдача), fun, health, luck, money, nature (but! the world), news, space (but! the atmosphere), weather (9)
That morning __nature was at its loveliest.
Congratulations! That was very smart __work altogether.
He did his watch for__fun
He was waiting for __permission to begin his experiment.
He felt __honest admiration for his colleague.
! Cases a) and b) are very often found together
She was making __great progress.
They promised Jackson __further assistance
! Such nouns can be used with THE (determined by the context/ situation):
He told one of the progress he was making.
The news was so upsetting.