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IMG Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
articles
Do we need an article "a" when an uncountable noun is preceded by an adjective? Say, "friendship" is an uncountable noun. Here's an example, "His idea of that relationship was no less than a true friendship.". Is it correct?
What happens with articles when a word is preceded by an adjective? Is there a rule?
I always have problems with this matter.
What happens with articles when a word is preceded by an adjective? Is there a rule?
I always have problems with this matter.
Top answer
I presume friendship is countable. You have a friend, and your relationship to him is a friendship. You have many friends, and your relationships there are many friendships.
- I presume friendship is countable.
- You have a friend, and your relationship to him is a friendship.
- You have many friends, and your relationships there are many friendships.
- Spoken as an uncountable concept, "friendship should be sincere", but referring to its countable instances, "(friendships/a friendship) should be sincere".
- You therefore run the risk in analysis of confusing the countable and uncountable versions of the word since they are so similar.
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4 Answers
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I presume friendship is countable.
You have a friend, and your relationship to him is a friendship.
You have many friends, and your relationships there are many friendships.
Spoken as an uncountable concept, "friendship should be sincere", but referring to its countable instances, "(friendships/a friendship) should be sincere".
You therefore run the risk
You have a friend, and your relationship to him is a friendship.
You have many friends, and your relationships there are many friendships.
Spoken as an uncountable concept, "friendship should be sincere", but referring to its countable instances, "(friendships/a friendship) should be sincere".
You therefore run the risk
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So, when we talk about concept, "friendship" is uncountable. And in other cases it's countable.
However, I can't see "friendship" in other context but a concept. Difference must be too little.
But my question was not about this exact word. I asked whether an adjective placed in front of a noun influences the article. I can't find a rule.
Something like that, but this o
However, I can't see "friendship" in other context but a concept. Difference must be too little.
But my question was not about this exact word. I asked whether an adjective placed in front of a noun influences the article. I can't find a rule.
Something like that, but this o
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Obviously an adjective in front of a countable noun shouldn't affect anything.
An adjective in front of an uncountable noun is likely to turn it into a countable version, since an adjective is there to specialise something, and specialisation suggests there are other choices (countable)
friendship should be sincere (uncountable concept of friendship)
-> a long-term friend
An adjective in front of an uncountable noun is likely to turn it into a countable version, since an adjective is there to specialise something, and specialisation suggests there are other choices (countable)
friendship should be sincere (uncountable concept of friendship)
-> a long-term friend
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I think I start to understand. Seems like it must be an easy grammatical topic, but it is not. 
Thank you for clarifications.
Thank you for clarifications.
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