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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Articles

Hi. Could you be so kind please to help me. I have a few problems with english articles, especially with the articles placed before uncountable or abstract nouns. For ex, it is said e can not use an article before abstract noun, in this case why we say a catastrophe ? because this noun is abstract and uncountable, why "the weather is fine"? if the word "weather" is also uncountable, why a disaster? "I think this word is also uncountable".

Please help me to overcome the difficulties.

Thank you in advance

Anna
  

Top answer

why "the weather is fine"? The article 'the' can occur before any common noun, singular or plural. It has nothing to do with countability.

— CalifJim

  • why "the weather is fine"?
  • The article 'the' can occur before any common noun, singular or plural.
  • It has nothing to do with countability.
  • The table is dirty.
  • ) The wine is good.
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2 Answers
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why "the weather is fine"?

The article 'the' can occur before any common noun, singular or plural. It has nothing to do with countability.

The table is dirty. (table is countable.) The wine is good. (wine is not countable.)

In the case of weather, 'the' makes the noun definite. The weather
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... a catastophe ... a disaster ...

'a' often signals 'an instance of', 'an example of', 'a case of'.

a catastophe - an instance of (a) catastophe - any specific event that is catastrophic.

a disaster - an instance of (a) disaster - any specific event that is disastrous.

Losing all the data for our project was a catastophe.
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