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Acosta Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

alcoholic or an alcoholic?

Are both of these sentences correct? I have seen it written both ways, bu don't know if they are both correct

"I became alcoholic two years ago."
"I became an alcoholic two years ago."

Thank you
  

Top answer

I prefer the second version. In the first, "alcoholic" is behaving as an adjective. As an adjective, "alcoholic" normally means "containing/related to alcohol" (for example, you might say "the beer fermented and became alcoholic").

— Mr Wordy

  • I prefer the second version.
  • In the first, "alcoholic" is behaving as an adjective.
  • As an adjective, "alcoholic" normally means "containing/related to alcohol" (for example, you might say "the beer fermented and became alcoholic").
  • Some people do use "alcoholic" to mean "addicted to alcohol", but it sounds slightly odd to me: it risks conjuring up an image that the person's body is literally infused with alcohol.
  • In the second version, "alcoholic" is a noun, meaning "someone who is addicted to alcohol", and this usage is absolutely fine.
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4 Answers
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I prefer the second version. In the first, "alcoholic" is behaving as an adjective. As an adjective, "alcoholic" normally means "containing/related to alcohol" (for example, you might say "the beer fermented and became alcoholic"). Some people do use "alcoholic" to mean "addicted to alcohol", but it sounds slightly odd to me: it risks conjuring up an image that the person's body is literall
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Hi,

Both are correct grammar, but #2 is much, much, much more common.

Clive
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It occurred to me later that "alcoholic" as an adjective meaning "addicted to alcohol" sounds much better to me when it precedes a noun. For example, I have no problem with "He was an alcoholic actor". Strange. Perhaps this is just a personal idiosyncrasy.
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