Time and a time

Question

Hi'Dictionaries say'time' can be countable and uncountable.What is the difference?'She had a difficult time.''She had difficult time.'

Tamguatlay · Accepted Answer

I would use the first sentence.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhat is the difference?
'She had a difficult time.'
'She had difficult time.'

The first one makes sense. The second one doesn't.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJimThe first one makes sense. The second one doesn't.

Is there a rational explanation for not making sense?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIs there a rational explanation for not making sense?

Not exactly rational, but maybe. I'll let you be the judge.

time is just that which passes as we live our lives. time doesn't come in different kinds, some easy, some difficult. It's just an abstraction measured by clocks.

We've only got so much time to finish this project, and after that the boss is going to look in on us and he won't be happy if we haven't finished.

a time is an occasion. If you have a difficult time, you experience something which distresses you in some way on a particular occasion. Usually you add an expression with a verb in its -ing form to say something more about that occasion.

[ I had a hard time ] [opening the door] because the key had got bent. (It was hard to open the door ....)

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

So clear and rational.
Lots of thanks.
You are a great teacher.

Cool Breeze · Answer

In addition to CJ's explanation, it may also be helpful to remember that an adjectival attribute often brings on the indefinite article or changes a definite article.

Examples:
I had lunch / dinner / supper / breakfast.
I had an early lunch / dinner...

Birds were flying in the sky.
Birds were flying in a blue sky.

We saw Obama on TV.
We saw a happy Obama on TV.

CB

Time and a time

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