2017-11-01
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- Adjectives denoting degree or extent, e.g. immense success, complete failure, absolute power:
It is sheer stupidity.
Remember the exception: be a complete failure (when we speak about a person or thing that is not successful): He was a complete failure as an actor.
- Adjectives denoting genres or trends in art, e.g. detective literature, romantic poetry, dramatic collision:
I love spiritual music.
- Adjectives referring to man's social and spiritual life and those characterizing man's manner or behaviour, e.g. public relations, social position, immoral behaviour, human law, nervous state:
Every politician needs public recognition.
- Adjectives denoting position or locality, e.g. local authority, inner vision, outside information:
Local authority is not able to solve this problem.
- Adjectives characterizing phenomena as continual or recurrent, e.g. continuous discussion, constant failure:
These facts will cause continuous discussion.
- Some other adjectives, e.g. good, bad, free, critical, plain, ordinary, human, etc.: good reputation, free talk, plain appearance:
Good reputation is difficult to earn but easy to lose.
An abstract noun may be used with the indefinite article in the following cases:
- If it has a descriptive attribute and a certain aspect of the notion denoted by the noun is meant:
Her face expressed a calm dignity of the one who knew the answer.
- Some abstract nouns can be used with the indefinite article when their meaning is particular rather than general and in set expressions:
You need a good rest.
Thank you, you’ve been a great help.
We had a good time at the picnic last Sunday.
- If an abstract noun is modified by the adjective certain or peculiar:
He felt a certain anxiety in the air.
- The nouns pity, shame, disgrace, pleasure, relief, comfort, disappointment are always used with the indefinite article in the sentences beginning with the formal it as subject:
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It's a pity, you haven't met him.
They are also used with the indefinite article in exclamatory sentences after what:
What a pleasure to see you again!
A number of abstract nouns function both as countable and uncountable nouns. As countable nouns they can denote some concrete things or particular notions. When they are used as countable nouns, they follow the general rules for the use of articles with class nouns but as uncountable nouns they never take the indefinite article.
| UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS | COUNTABLE NOUNS | ||
| work There is still much work to do. nature Nature was still untouched there. decision He was a man of decision. beauty Beauty can easily deceive. experience You will learn by experience. time We needn’t hurry – there’s still plenty of time. | a work It was a real work of art. a nature She had a very agreeable nature. a decision We are to make a decision immediately. a beauty She used to be a beauty in her youth. an experience I had a strange experience there. a time I’ve told her about it several times already. | ||
Remember: The following abstract uncountable nouns are never used with the indefinite article:
Accommodation, advice, behaviour, chaos, experience, expense, information, lightning, luck, music, nature, news, nonsense, permission, progress, publicity, research, scenery, society, space, thunder, traffic, travel, trouble, weather, work.
The definite article is used in the following cases:
- when a limiting attribute or a context restricts the notion denoted by the noun, e.g.
