The Use of Articles with Material Nouns

The Use of Articles with Class Nouns Modified by Attributes

In accordance with their role in the choice of articles attributes may be divided into particularizing ( or limiting) and descriptive.

A parti­cularizing attribute is used to single out an object from all the objects of the class, to point out one particular object or group of objects. The use of a particularizing attribute implies the idea of “той, який”; “саме той” “той самий”. It makes the noun definite. So the definite article is used with this kind of attribute.

Look at picture 5 at the top of page 43.

I want to get back to the hotel where he was staying.

Where is the book I gave you last week?

He knocked at the door of a very neat house.

A descriptive attribute is used to describe an object or to give some additional information about it. This kind of attribute does not single out an object (or a group of objects) but only narrows the class to which it belongs:

He wrote a novel.

He wrote a good novel.

He wrote a good historical novel.

In a fortnight I got a long letter, which I considered odd.

1. With nouns of material (substances) used in a general sense, when a certain material as such is meant, no article is used:

I like coffee, I don’t drink tea.

2. Nouns of substances modified by a descriptive attribute are used with the zero article as well. A descriptive attribute only narrows the notion denoted by a noun without specifying it:

There was not a single thing made of real wood in the room: everything was made of metal and plastic.

3. When a definite part of the substance is meant (when the noun is modified by a particularizing attribute or is made definite by the situation), the definite article is used:

The tea is too hot. I can’t drink it.

Themeat you prepared yesterday was very delicious.

4. When an indefinite part of the substance is meant, some is used:

We took some bread and cheese with us, and got some milk.

5. Nouns of material denoting different sorts of material are countable and the articles are used according to the general use of articles with class nouns.

Names of materials become countable nouns in the following cases:

v when various sorts of food products are meant:

We can buy different cheeses here.

v when a portion of food or drink is meant:

If you want to please the boy, buy him an ice.

We went into the cafe and I ordered two coffees.

6. Some collective nouns denoting a group of objects thought of as a whole, behave like names of substances. Among them are furniture, equipment, machinery, crockery, hardware, silverware, china, luggage, baggage, etc. Such nouns follow the rules of the use of articles for names of substances:

I need furniture.

The furniture which I bought a few days ago was very expensive.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29