Articles in two instances

Question

1) There is a growing problem of drug addiction in our cities.2) an addiction to nicotine3) I'd be lucky to get my daughter back through drug addiction.Can anyone tell me why no article was used in the first sentence? What about the second and third sentence?What makes the word countable or uncountable? I do not sense much difference. Thanks a lot.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

MaroldCan anyone tell me why no article was used in the first sentence?

It is a general concept.

Marold What about the second and third sentence?

#2 indicates a particular addiction. #3 is badly constructed, so I don't know what was intended, but again 'drug addiction' is a general concept (uncountable).

MaroldWhat makes the word countable or uncountable? I do not sense much difference.

Often, little exists, but it is the writer's call.

Deadrat · Answer

#3 makes some sense if "from" replaces "through."

Deadrat · Answer

A noun is countable if its plural consists of discrete units that may be counted.  "Day" is countable because you can count off a number of days.  There are 31 in the current month, for instance.  "Water" is noncountable because it's not made up of individual units in our experience.  (Molecules are too small to discern.)  We measure things represented by noncountable nouns, e.g., a cup of water.  Concepts and abstractions are noncountable.

Fivejedjon · Answer

deadrat. "Water" is noncountable because it's not made up of individual units in our experience.

Unfortunately there are many apparent exceptions to the generalised ideas that you give.
'Beer' for example is noncount if we think of the liquid, but countable if we think of a glass or a type of that liquid:

Beer is good for you.
We had a couple of beers and then went back to work
The Beer Museum Pub in Prague has 30 beers on tap.

Marold · Answer

fivejedjonUnfortunately there are many apparent exceptions to the generalised ideas that you give.

Unfortunately as you say, I cannot agree more.

Articles will always be an inexplicable matter for me. I do not mean the basics, I mean a lot of instances when I am unsure whether the word act as countable or uncountable since dictionaries only tend to inform you that it may be both, not giving you clear examples.

Deadrat · Answer

I hope I didn't give the impression that this is a hard and fast rule of partition to be applied rigidly.  Figurative speech must be taken into account.  When the liquid gives its name to the serving or the brand, then the word is countable.  You can tell the number of drinks I've had by counting the empty beer steins in front of my passed-out form.  You can tell how many  brands of beers are carried by the Beer Museum by counting entries on their purchase orders.  The "generalized idea" is still valid.  It just can't be applied mechanically and without context.

Marold · Answer

deadratI hope I didn't give the impression that this is a hard and fast rule of partition to be applied rigidly.

Of course not. No worries. Thank you for your viewpoint.

Articles in two instances

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