Extraordinary power or an extraordinary power

Question

Hi. When do we use the indefinite article "an" before the word "extraordinary"? In a religious context, what could be the deciding factor for using the phrase "possess extraordinary power" versus using the phrase "possess an extraordinary power"?

I think I learn from this forum that uncountable nouns could be turned countable if made into types or instances of them, but I think we are more inclined to see words like "sadness" that deals with human emotion or feelings turned countable than, say, a word like "power."

I wrote a post in your General English Vocabulary & Idiom Questions section dealing basically the same topic (content/issue) a few days ago but didn't get a reply. Then I thought this might be an English article question and decided to post here. Would you help?

RayH · Accepted Answer

"extraordinary" is an adjective and therefore doesn't take an article.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Thank you. Let me correct something what I said by saying that I didn't write a post on this topic (content) a few days ago but I am sure that I wrote it yesterday in your General Vocabulary & Idiom Questions section.

Anyway, what I meant to ask was not why do we use (have?) the indefinite article "an" before the word "power" with having the adjective "extraordinary" in between in the phrase "an extraordinary power" when I think the word "power" here means something to the effect of ability or control over something or someone (if I am not mistaken) and think it is uncountable in that meaning?

Also, I also have seen phrases like "a love that can't be copied" and "show a true love" and wonder if this could be the case of turning an uncountable noun to a countable noun. I think the word "a love" in its countable form means an object of deep affection (if I am not mistaken) and for the phrases mentioned, I think the word "love" is meant to be used uncountably, to mean deep affection (if I am not mistaken).

RayH · Answer

I'm not sure I can explain the situation to your (or my) satisfaction. I guess whether an author uses a normally uncountable noun as though it is countable is a matter of the tone or feeling he wants to convey to the reader. Saying "a love" or "a power" adds a kind of emphasis or draws the reader's attention in a way that the uncountable use doesn't. I wouldn't tie myself in knots trying to make fine distinctions between the two uses, often the countable use can be replaced with the more usual uncountable use without doing great violence to the overall meaning, although (to the native speaker anyway) there will be a subtle change in the overall "feel" of the piece.

Well, as I feared when I set out on this answer (after much editing and more that a few false starts) I'm not really satisfied that it's the full explanation but I guess it's about as close as I'm likely to come.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Thank you. It was lovely (kind) for you to go to such an extent to provide me with such a good answer. I am thankful.

Extraordinary power or an extraordinary power

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