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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Why is an indefinite article missing in this sentence?
This is a clause from the book The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.
"... even if we haven't the faintest idea of the chemical chain of embryonic causes leading from gene to behaviour."
Why is it just "gene," not "genes" or "a gene"? I thought gene was a countable noun. Does gene have a different meaning when it is an uncountable noun, if at all?
Thanks in advance!
"... even if we haven't the faintest idea of the chemical chain of embryonic causes leading from gene to behaviour."
Why is it just "gene," not "genes" or "a gene"? I thought gene was a countable noun. Does gene have a different meaning when it is an uncountable noun, if at all?
Thanks in advance!
Top answer
Why is it just "gene," not "genes" or "a gene"? - - It is, but like many countable nouns, it can change to uncountable when it is a concept. -- It is the concept of genes here referred to.
- Why is it just "gene," not "genes" or "a gene"?
- - - It is, but like many countable nouns, it can change to uncountable when it is a concept.
- -- It is the concept of genes here referred to.
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1 Answers
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Why is it just "gene," not "genes" or "a gene"? I thought gene was a countable noun.-- It is, but like many countable nouns, it can change to uncountable when it is a concept.
Does gene have a different meaning when it is an uncountable noun, if at all?-- It is the concept of genes here referred to.
Does gene have a different meaning when it is an uncountable noun, if at all?-- It is the concept of genes here referred to.
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