A sequel to an article before a gerund question

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Hi,Can you please tell me why a person use an indefinite article before a gerund/verbal noun? I think here people are making an instance of all the gerund/verbal noun "a playing" and not making types of it. Like I have said in the thread named "indefinite article before a gerund," I think native speakers have choices when confronted with the dilemma like this (if we could call it a dilemma); they can make an instance of the gerund/verbal noun or types of it. I think making instances (that is 'separate occurances") is what has been done for these sentences I copied (pasted??) from a Google Book search.http://books.google.com/books?id=I7pGAAAAMAAJ&q=%22A+PLAYING+OF&dq=%22A+PLAYING+OF&lr=&hl=koThe New Guide to Recorded Music: international edition - 80 ?????: Irving Kolodin - 1950 - 524 ???German knowledge and English technical skill have produced, in the Clemens Krauss performance, a playing of this work superlative in its richness of sound ...?? ??? ?? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???     Judicial and Statutory Definitions of Words and Phrases??: West Publishing Company - 1904 - 7839 ???5120 ???"Outhouse," as used In a statute prohibiting a playing of cards for money in an outhouse where people resort does not mean that it should be In the same ...????? ????. - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) Works of Music: An Essay in Ontology - 35 ?????: Julian Dodd - 2007 - 286 ???For someone to perform W, she must intend to do so, and a playing of W is a reproduction of sounds that were produced with that intention; so it follows ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) A Celebration of John F. Nash Jr.: Duke Mathematical Journal - 12 ?????: Harold W. Kuhn, John F. Nash, Louis Nirenberg, Peter Sarnak, Morris Weisfeld - 1996 - 494 ???... the probability that a particular n-tuple of pure strategies will be employed in a playing of the game should be the product of the probabilities ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? http://books.google.com/books?id=l8qJI3ak-UsC&dq=%22A+PLAYING+OF&lr=&hl=koAmerica's Musical Life: A History??: Richard Crawford - 2001 - 976 ???284 ???... and a playing of The Star-Spangled Banner.2* Mixed with Beethoven symphonies, Strauss waltzes, and the Midsummer Nights Dream overture, a novelty like ...????? ????. - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) Information please almanac - 36 ?????: Dan Golenpaul, John Kieran, Dan Golenpaul Associates - 1947... might be associated with a playing of this violin and piano sonata, but their qualities would be hard to surpass. The reproduction is outstandingly good ...?? ??? ?? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) The Collected Writings of Michael Snow: the Michael Snow project - 285 ?????: Michael Snow, Louise Dompierre - 1994 - 295 ???After seeing the footage, I decided to tape separately a playing of the radio, making a kind of Doppler effect by turning the volume down and up and ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? http://books.google.com/books?id=pyylwqkVIUoC&pg=PA613&dq=%22A+PLAYING+OF&lr=&hl=ko&sig=ACfU3U0NnBzHpvlM8J5-J4VGYDnDPIMiAwA Portuguese-English dictionary - 613 ?????: James Lumpkin Taylor, Priscilla Clark Martin - 1963 - 655 ???a playing of musical instruments; a musical rendition; a toccata. toca-viola (m.) = TANGE-VIOLA. tocha (/.) large ornamental candle; torch, flambeau; ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language: To which is Appended an English ... - 495 ?????: Lorrin Andrews - 1865 - 559 ???A playing of cards; gambling ; the name of a game. 2. A bag or bundle tied up for carrying. -KAU-po-Hi-wi, s. Pu, gun, kau, to place, ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ???   (missing image) The Phenomenology of Spirit Reader: Critical and Interpretive Essays - 32 ?????: Jon Bartley Stewart, Jon Stewart - 1998 - 507 ???... excluding the latter from the true in its actuality: "Thus the life of God and divine knowing may indeed be spoken of as a playing of love with itself; ...???? - ?? ?? - ? ??? ???? - ?? ??? ??? ?? ???:   (missing image) ??  (missing image) 1  (missing image) 2  (missing image) 3  (missing image) 4  (missing image) 5  (missing image) 6  (missing image) 7  (missing image) 8  (missing image) 9  (missing image) 10  (missing image) 11  (missing image) ??    Google ???? ??? | ?? ????      Google ???? ?? - ???? ?? ?? - Google ?  ©2008 Google

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I think I have seen more than enough cases where what people call a verbal noun has the indefinite article 'a' in front of it and at the very least, the sheer number (should it be - sheer numbrs??) of it warrants some good explanations from experts in this forum. I think I can laid out a similar framework of argument for a quoted content too.

These days, students from where I use to live don't study hard. A lot of people seem to feel "sit in your chair and do nothing for eight hours" should be replaced with a quality "sit-in-your-chair-and-do-some-work hours." -- I think I made into a type. I was trying to make it an instance of it though. Do you think all the hyphens in quote in allowed? I think Mr. M said we should use either a hyphen or quotation marks, but usually not both.

I must say, the indefinite article "a" doesn't seem to go well with "hours" in the quotes but see nothing wrong with it, IMO.

Avangi · Answer

<<I think making instances (that is "separate occurances") is what has been done for these sentences I copied>>

I agree.

This is not official, but to me, where the object of "playing" is uncountable, then so is "playing." "I spent the afternoon playing checkers."

Where the object is countable, then so is "playing." This is the fifth time he has played that damned record. I can't possibly sit through a sixth playing.

a playing of cards for money in an outhouse, would be an occurance, or an incidence of playing.

I find playing Chopin's nocturns on the piano to be very relaxing. Uncountable. On each playing of the fifth nocturn, I improve very slightly. Countable.

While Chopin's nocturns are clearly countable, the playing of them in general is not. It's like eating potato chips. The chips are countable but the eating of them in general is not. But you could refer to a particular occasion on which you ate too many as an excessive eating of potato chips. This would be opposed to "the excessive eating of potato chips," which would be habitual.

At universities where the dining room cannot accomodate the entire student body, they sometimes have what is called "a second sitting."

Best wishes, - A.

A sequel to an article before a gerund question

The New Guide to Recorded Music: international edition - 80 ???

Judicial and Statutory Definitions of Words and Phrases

Works of Music: An Essay in Ontology - 35 ???

A Celebration of John F. Nash Jr.: Duke Mathematical Journal - 12 ???

America's Musical Life: A History

Information please almanac - 36 ???

The Collected Writings of Michael Snow: the Michael Snow project - 285 ???

A Portuguese-English dictionary - 613 ???

A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language: To which is Appended an English ... - 495 ???

The Phenomenology of Spirit Reader: Critical and Interpretive Essays - 32 ???

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