big money vs a big money

Question

Hello, everyone!I have learned indefinete articles usually don't get along with uncountalbe nouns. But in the below, it seems they get stuck together well. A: What's your conclusion? B: There seems to be a great money. After I pay that fee, the courier send me the message again, that I must pay the fee again because there is a big money in the luggage.Even though 'a+uncoutale noun' pattern such as a money is not possible, can I consider 'a/an+adjective+uncountalbe noun' pattern possible according to the context? bad/good behaviour (As long as I know, this is the usual pattern.)a bad/good behaviour ( Is there a context where this is possible?)a mysterious behabiour( Is this possible?)I had an unusual weather on my trip.(Does it soud natural?) Anyway, I have got (a?) question about what is the reason for making it possibe that indefinte articles can get along with uncountable nouns. When this combination is possible, the ariticle does not seem to modify the noun. To me It seems the article is modifying the adjective. But I am not sure. It is a confusing thing to me. What do you think about this problem?Many thanks in advance.

Clive · Accepted Answer

I have learned indefinete articles usually don't get along with uncountalbe nouns. But in the below, it seems they get stuck together well.

A: What's your conclusion?
B: There seems to be a great money. Incorrect English. You could say eg a great amount of money.

After I pay that fee, the courier send me the message again, that I must pay the fee again because there is a big money in the luggage.Again, incorrect English. In addition. I don't understand the meaning of the overall sentence.

Even though 'a+uncoutale noun' pattern such as a money is not possible, can I consider 'a/an+adjective+uncountalbe noun' pattern possible according to the context? You'd really have to struggle to find unusual, and often literary, contexts for this kind of usage. I would advise learners not to attempt this kind of English until they know that all the other aspects of their English are at native speech level.

bad/good behaviour (As long as I know, this is the usual pattern.)
a bad/good behaviour ( Is there a context where this is possible?)
a mysterious behabiour( Is this possible?)
I had an unusual weather on my trip.(Does it soud natural?)

Anyway, I have got (a?) question about what is the reason for making it possibe that indefinte articles can get along with uncountable nouns. When this combination is possible, the ariticle does not seem to modify the noun. To me It seems the article is modifying the adjective. But I am not sure. It is a confusing thing to me. What do you think about this problem? An article modifies the noun.

Clive

Avangi · Answer

I don't mean to oversimplify your thesis, but you may find that the "uncountable nouns" which work with the indefinite article are really countable. "Behaviors" can certainly be countable as well as uncountable.
Your primary example, "there seems to be a great money," is completely foreign to my ear. I can't imagine using it. Do you have some real quotes?

"Monies" is sometimes used in the plural, but that's a different situation.

All the examples I find are cases where the word "money" serves as an adjective modifying another noun, as in "a big money deal," "a big money operation." "Deal" and "operation" are clearly countable nouns.

There are 63 million Google hits for "a big money."
Quite often, the noun which follows "money" creates a kind of compound noun, like "money grab," or "money tree," or "money maker." These are countable.

Youngbuts · Answer

Hi.

Thank you for your comments and advices, Clive and Avangi.

The sentece 'there seems to be a great money.' is from a internet site in my back country, which teaches English. And the other sentence is from a English internet site. Anyway after I saw them, I started to have a question if this pattern is also possible. Now I got it thanks to your explanations.

After I listened to your explanation, what have came to me is that I have to understand first what happens in native speakers' mind when you use a word with the same form either as an uncountable noun or as a countalble noun.

His performance was perfection. (Could I say a perfection here instead of perfection?)
The fish was cooked to perfection .(Could I say a perfection here instead of perfection?)
The novel achieves a perfection of form that is quite new. (Could I say perfection here instead of a perfection?)

The streets were noisy and full of activity.
Muscles contract and relax during physical activity.
The club provides a wide variety of activities including tennis, swimming and squash.

I know my question could sound silly, but I have to try it. Everytime I write something in English, I have to look up in my dictionary. And even after I read the dictionary, many times I can not decide what form I have to choose, I really would like to escape it. But this is not easy for me.

Avangi · Answer

youngbutsHis performance was perfection. (Could I say a perfection here instead of perfection?)

The fish was cooked to perfection .(Could I say a perfection here instead of perfection?)

The novel achieves a perfection of form that is quite new. (Could I say perfection here instead of a perfection?)

Yes, yes, and yes.
However, they're more natural as they stand.
In the third one, if you were to remove the "that" clause, it would be preferred to omit the article.

youngbutsThe streets were noisy and full of activity.

Muscles contract and relax during physical activity.

The club provides a wide variety of activities including tennis, swimming and squash.

"Activity" may be singular or plural in each of these three examples. However, the sentences are more natural as given.

I'm sure that somewhere someone has written books and articles offering rules to guide you in these choices. But as native speakers, we just pick it up as we go along.

big money vs a big money

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