Grammar

We don't. We say 'What rubbish!'

We say 'What a shame!' because it can be countable:

4. a fact or circumstance bringing disgrace or regret: 'The bankruptcy of the business was a shame.' 'It was a shame you couldn't come with us.''

I don't disagree with Mr M as far as usage is concerned. However, I think using the article with shame in his examples is just idiomatic and not so much an indication of shame being really countable. How often has anyone seen shame in the plural? Sentences like He felt those two shames the rest of his life or I can never forget the shames that have befallen me d

Probably just a matter of viewpoint. Since the article is correct, the noun must be countable; however, 'it's a shame', 'He has a good knowledge', 'don't give me a hard time', 'I'll have a coffee', etc, are too abundant and various to consider them all idiomatic constructions. I think it's easier to consider them nouns conceivable as either count or non-count.

What an interesting question!



Rubbish is a straightforward noncount noun here so the correct form is What rubbish. There’s no *What a rubbish. You may see it used with a, but only when it’s used as a modifier as in the informal What a rubbish idea!



Shame, however, is a real nuisance because it’s a straightforwa

There's too many to call them all exceptions, Bill. Most (all?) noncounts can become countable with modification:

A radiant beauty
A natural sugar
An intense hatred
A simple honesty
An abiding passion
An unbending pride
ad infinitum

Mister MicawberProbably just a matter of viewpoint. Since the article is correct, the noun must be countable;

Yes indeed, a matter of viewpoint. This seems to be a case of viewing countability differently. I learned in school to call "countable" those nouns that can be used in the plural, in other words those nouns can really be counted, not th

I avoid this problem by considering "a shame" a fixed idiom with a different meaning, as learner's dictionaries usually do.

If it's a shame you didn't come, do any of us feel shame? No, at least according to my dictionaries. Here's what Longman says:

A shame = used when you wish a situation was different, and you feel sad or disappointed.

Shame (not

Do you mean that we use the article "a" with uncountable noun only if we add another noun,like " a natural sugar",but what about " what a shame"?.or just because they're modifiers?

I'm really confused,I learnt that only countable nouns take the article "a/an",and uncountable nouns don't.

Is there a specific rule or they are just exceptions or idiomatic?.

I'm an english

I am still enamoured of my own 'explanation' which should be sufficient:

Since the article is correct, the noun must be countable; however, 'it's a shame', 'He has a good knowledge', 'don't give me a hard time', 'I'll have a coffee', etc, are too abundant and various to consider them all idiomatic constructions. I think it's easier to consider them nouns concei

Hi,

Its a good description we say"what rubbish" not" what a rubbish".beacuse it is uncountable noun

same as we cant say what a shame..

Agreed

Thanks