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patrick c.d.
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:51 am
Post subject: "a" or "some" |
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hi,
in my test i've written "i got an good advise".
that sentence was wrong since i'd had to write "i got _some_ good advise".
so, ehm, why i have to use some here?
and, are there any other words which require "some"?
-thanks-
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nycram
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:46 am
Post subject: Re: "a" or "some" |
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In article <pan.2004.10.11.22.49.22.437137@yahoo.de>,
johnbecker_at_debian@yahoo.de says...
| Quote: | hi,
in my test i've written "i got an good advise".
that sentence was wrong since i'd had to write "i got _some_ good advise".
so, ehm, why i have to use some here?
and, are there any other words which require "some"?
-thanks-
Here's a simple explanation of the dofference between count nouns and |
mass nouns:
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/grammar/massandcountnouns.htm
HTH
Gary |
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Martin Ambuhl
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:45 am
Post subject: Re: "a" or "some" |
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patrick c.d. wrote:
| Quote: | hi,
in my test i've written "i got an good advise".
|
That is incorrect. First, the first person singular pronoun 'I' is
capitalized, as is the first word of a sentence. Second, 'advise' is a
verb, but 'advice' is a noun. Note that the word 'advise' has a /z/
sound whild the word 'advice' has an /s/ sound. Further, 'advice' is
usually considered a mass (non-count/uncount/uncountable) noun. Here
are some ways the above could have been written.
(1) In my test I wrote, "I got a good piece of advice."
(2) In my test I wrote, "I got some good advice."
(3) In my test I wrote, "I got good advice."
| Quote: | that sentence was wrong since i'd had to write "i got _some_ good advise".
so, ehm, why i have to use some here?
and, are there any other words which require "some"?
|
As noted above, "advice" is a non-count noun. Here is what the
_Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar_ has to say:
uncount:
Designating a noun that has no plural form and cannot be used with
numerical values; uncountable. Contrasted with 'count'. (Also
called 'uncountable, non-count.)
Grammatically 'uncount nouns' are distinguished by the fact that
they can be used without any determiner or article and with certain
determiners that are exclusive to them (e.g. 'much'). Uncount nouns
often refer in a rather general way to substances and abstract
qualities, processes, and states (e.g. ;china', 'petrol', 'poverty',
'rain', 'welfare') rather than to discrete units. But the 'uncount'
versus 'count' distinction is grammatical, not semantic, and a
number of English uncount nouns (e.g. 'information', 'baggage',
'news', 'traffic') have countable equivalents in other languages.
'Uncount; is generally synonymous with 'mass'; but see 'mass noun'
for a distinction sometimes made.
In your original sentence 'an' is a determiner specifying a numerical
value (1). Have some coffee and check your texts. I'm sure you will
find other examples.
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patrick c.d.
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:58 am
Post subject: Re: "a" or "some" |
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Am Mon, 11 Oct 2004 20:45:58 -0400 schrieb Martin Ambuhl:
| Quote: | In your original sentence 'an' is a determiner specifying a numerical
value (1). Have some coffee and check your texts. I'm sure you will
find other examples.
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hi,
thanks for your excellent explanation...
think now i really know all i have to know about my mistakes  |
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meirman
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:04 am
Post subject: Re: "a" or "some" |
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In alt.english.usage on Tue, 12 Oct 2004 00:51:33 +0200 "patrick c.d."
<johnbecker_at_debian@yahoo.de> posted:
| Quote: | hi,
in my test i've written "i got an good advise".
that sentence was wrong since i'd had to write "i got _some_ good advise".
so, ehm, why i have to use some here?
and, are there any other words which require "some"?
|
Everything Martin said was correct.
Also, you don't have to include "some" in your sentence, nor in most
or all other sentences where "some" can be used if desired. But you
can't use "a" or "an" in your sentence. BTW, if you could use one of
them, it would be "a" because the next word "good" starts with a
consonental sound.
"I got good advice" is fine.
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
now in Baltimore 20 years |
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