Is metal or a metal?
Hi. Can both, one with the indefinite article "a" and the other without it, work in each of these cases where one is trying to come up with the short definition for each? Thank you in advance for your help.
1) Copper is (a?) reddish brown metal people can use ...
2) Cord is (a?) sturdy string.
Top answer
"Copper is a reddish-brown metal" is best. "A" is not necessary, but we often use "a" or "an" with materials/uncountable nouns when we mean "a type of" or when we use an adjective/modifier in front of the material. Examples: - I like fruit.
- "Copper is a reddish-brown metal" is best.
- "A" is not necessary, but we often use "a" or "an" with materials/uncountable nouns when we mean "a type of" or when we use an adjective/modifier in front of the material.
- Examples: - I like fruit.
- - Pineapple is a fruit.
- - We use metal in manufacturing the product.
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"Copper is a reddish-brown metal" is best. "A" is not necessary, but we often use "a" or "an" with materials/uncountable nouns when we mean "a type of" or when we use an adjective/modifier in front of the material. Examples:
- I like fruit.
- Pineapple is a fruit.
- We use metal in manufacturing the product.
- We use an engineered metal in manufacturing th
01) Copper is a reddish-brown metal that is used for electric wiring, as it is a good conductor and very malleable.
2) A cord is a sturdy string.
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