Article + uncountable

Question

Hi!How come you can say "I still have a long time." but not "I have a long hair."? (I might be wrong )Time and Hair are uncountable, so I'm just wondering why the article "a" can be used in the first sentence and not in the second.Thanks!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

How come you can say "I still have a long time." but not "I have a long hair."? (I might be wrong

)

Time and Hair are uncountable, so I'm just wondering why the article "a" can be used in the first sentence and not in the second.

These words can be both countable and noncountable,

Let's focus on when they are countable.

Such words are often countable when they have an adjective

eg I had a nice time yesterday. I had a nice time the day before. That's two nice times this week.

eg He is absent from school again today. That's three times this week.

eg I have a short hair on my nose, and I have three long hairs on my left ear.

eg I had to wait for a short time yesterday, but today I have to wait for a long time.

By convention, we use the noncountable form 'hair' to refer to all of our hair.

Thus, I have to get my hair cut but not I have to get my hairs cut.

Clive

Frostwhite · Answer

Thanks Sir Clive!

I like your examples. I'll definitely use them all.

Article + uncountable

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