their three questions

Question

1. Can we use this variable noun "hypocrisy" like this? Which one is correct?

It is hypocrisy.

It is a hypocrisy.

2. I have two uncountable nouns and am wondering how they can be like that.

SOFTWARE: a uncountable noun

The people who write the software for big computer projects.

Why "the software" and not just "software" without an article "the"? Is that because the word "software" is being restrictively modified subsequently by the phrase "for big computer projects"?

LACK: an uncountable noun also a N

If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it or it doesn't exist at all.

Why is there a word/article?? "a"? I have noticed the dictionary noted it as an uncountable noun that can accompany the word/article "a" as has been underlined.

3. Why are there no articles in front of the nouns "model" and "commentator" in this sentence?

Every student should be (a???) model and (a???) commentator.

Is the reasoning is that only one (that) student can be the model and commentator at one time?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

1. Can we use this variable noun "hypocrisy" like this? Which one is correct?

It is hypocrisy.

It is a hypocrisy.

In the countable form, it means 'an instance of hypocrisy'.

2. I have two uncountable nouns and am wondering how they can be like that.

SOFTWARE: a uncountable noun

The people who write the software for big computer projects.

Why "the software" and not just "software" without an article "the"? Is that because the word "software" is being restrictively modified subsequently by the phrase "for big computer projects"? Yes. You are making a specific reference.

LACK: an uncountable noun also a N

If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it or it doesn't exist at all.

Why is there a word/article?? "a"? I have noticed the dictionary noted it as an uncountable noun that can accompany the word/article "a" as has been underlined.

It seems acceptable to me to use 'lack' as countable, eg This product has several lacks. However, I myself would prefer to say it in another way.

3. Why are there no articles in front of the nouns "model" and "commentator" in this sentence?

Every student should be (a???) model and (a???) commentator.

Is the reasoning is that only one (that) student can be the model and commentator at one time? Possibly. It's hard to say without a context. Another interpretation is that the words are being used as a title or name of a role. eg Every child has the opportunity to be president one day.

Best wishes, Clive

Believer · Answer

Thank you.

Do you say if word is being used as a title and name of a role, then no articles will be necessary?

He is President of the JC Company -- this is the case of it being used as a title.

He plays president in the play. -- this is the case of it being used in reference to a role.

Those two sentences are rather simple in nature and lately, I have been seeing more hard-to-determine cases where the uses of them are not clear, at least to me. Can you give some examples of more precarious nature?

Like here, is this valid?

He is rascist.

Also, when are the criteria that can be applied to discern the cases when to put a noun "president" in lower-case letters and when to put its first letter in the capital letter?

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

Do you say if word is being used as a title and name of a role, then no articles will be necessary?

He is President of the JC Company -- this is the case of it being used as a title. Yes

He plays president in the play. -- this is the case of it being used in reference to a role. Here, in normal speech, you need to say 'a' or 'the'. I regret speaking in terms of roles before, because I think that may be a confusing idea in some ways.

Those two sentences are rather simple in nature and lately, I have been seeing more hard-to-determine cases where the uses of them are not clear, at least to me. Can you give some examples of more precarious nature?

Like here, is this valid?

He is racist. This word can be used as an adjective, in which case this is fine. Or as a noun, in which case you have to say 'a'.

Also, when are the criteria that can be applied to discern when to put a noun "president" in lower-case letters and when to put its first letter in the capital letter? Put a capital when you are using it as a job-title. eg George Bush and Fred Smith are both presidents, but Bush is President of the US and Smith is Persident of ABC Construction Ltd. Perhaps you could think of it like this: if you are using the job name in the way that it would be written on someone's office door, put a capital.

This is not an easy area to understand, or even to explain. However, remember that, if you make a mistake, people will still easily understand your meaning.

Best wishes, Clive

Ckwek · Answer

Believer
1. Can we use this variable noun "hypocrisy" like this? Which one is correct?

It is hypocrisy.

It is a hypocrisy.

2. I have two uncountable nouns and am wondering how they can be like that.

SOFTWARE: a uncountable noun

The people who write the software for big computer projects.

Why "the software" and not just "software" without an article "the"? Is that because the word "software" is being restrictively modified subsequently by the phrase "for big computer projects"?

LACK: an uncountable noun also a N

If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it or it doesn't exist at all.

Why is there a word/article?? "a"? I have noticed the dictionary noted it as an uncountable noun that can accompany the word/article "a" as has been underlined.

3. Why are there no articles in front of the nouns "model" and "commentator" in this sentence?

Every student should be (a???) model and (a???) commentator.

Is the reasoning is that only one (that) student can be the model and commentator at one time?

1. Hypocrisy (Uncountable noun)

There's one rule for her and another rule for everyone else and it's sheer hypocrisy.

If you use hypocrite (Countable noun)

He's a hypocrite.

2. Well, could you provide the whole article? The people who write the software for big computer projects.

I think :

If there is "a lack of something", there is not enough of that is needed or wanted.

3. While we use two countable noun in the sentence, we dont use "a".

If you want to use "a":

Every student should be a model or a commentator.

Subject + Verb + Object

"Every student" (Individual) should be "model and commentator" (Plural)

CK

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