Substantial increase

Question

Please help me understand this.I've been told that in the sentence "There has been substantial increase in engine reliability" an indefinite article MUST be placed before "substantial". However, I see "increase" here as an uncountable noun.Why is the above sentence wrong without the indefinite article?Thanks in advance!

Philip · Accepted Answer

I see 'increase' as countable.  [During the last 10 years of teaching, I had only two increases in pay.]

Avangi · Answer

Anonymous"There has been substantial increase in engine reliability"

I feel your pain. We say, "Reliability has increased substantially."

But I agree with Philip. I don't believe the uncountable use of "increase" has yet become idiomatic.

I guess the reason WHYis that not enough people have been misusing it.

How do you feel about "increment"?

Philip · Answer

AvangiI don't believe the uncountable use of "increase" has yet become idiomatic.

I guess the reason WHY is that not enough people have been misusing it.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhy is the above sentence wrong without the indefinite article?

"increase" is countable, but in addition, "There has been" suggests that an event has occurred, and the event is "an increase". Similarly,

There has been a terrible accident.
There has been a misunderstanding.
There has been a surge in interest in 3D movies.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

CalifJim"There has been" suggests that an event has occurred,

I'm trying to extract a principle here.

If I say, "There has been criticism of her recent performance at the Civic Center," both the performance and the criticism are events. I believe "criticism" is both countable and uncountable. Granted, "a criticism" is different from "some criticism," but so is "a misunderstanding" different from "some misunderstanding."

Similarly, we may speak of "an increase" and "some increase."
I take the OP in the spirit of "There has been [some] increase in global warming."
My view is that the "some" is necessary, but I don't think the OP views it as an event.

You could say, "There's an increase in performance with the new model," or you could say, "There's been an increase in performance over the past fifty years." I'm not sure if both are events. I suppose they are.

There has been a terrible accident.
There has been a misunderstanding.
There has been a surge in interest in 3D movies.

These all seem different as regards the event.
The first is clearly a single point in time.
The second may be describing either a single incident or a trend.
The third is clearly describing a trend. I think it's a stretch to call it an event.

Best regards, - A.

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiI'm trying to extract a principle here.

Join the club.

AvangiI'm not sure if both are events.

Maybe "event" should be in quotes. Some "events" are not as event-like as others.

Your example "There has been criticism" shows that not all cases with "There has been" need to have "a". So you've found a counter-example and tumbled my castle to the ground. I hope you're happy now!

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Have you been playing Dungeons and Dragons again?

I think the issue is important.

Of your three examples (accident, misunderstanding, surge) I think only the middle one can be both countable and uncountable, but I'm not really sure about "surge." It seems a lot like "increase."

In the case of "misunderstanding," the article makes the difference.

Anyway, cheer up.

Avangi · Answer

Well, I guess we need to report to Anonymous that the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary lists the noun "increase" as [C or U].

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/increase_2

BTW, "surge" is countable only, according to the same source.

Ivanhr · Answer

Hi,

I'm with Avangi on this one.

I see the version with the article as signifying different types of "increase" (a substantial/significant/important/minor increase) rather than indicating something countable.

The same could be said of uncountable nouns as well.

an absolute silence/a silence that speaks etc.

In both cases, I see the nouns as uncountable with countable usages.

I'd accept both a substantial increase and substantial increase just as I might say an absolute silence or just absolute silence.

Substantial increase

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions