can a/an modify unccountable noun?
My father was not a tall man but he was able to command a room. He had a presence about him, the solemnity of an oracle. His hands were thick and leathery—the hands of a man who’d been hard at work all his life—and they grasped the Bible firmly.
I searched with an answer that a/an X about is a fixed phrase, but I still don't understand as presence is unccountable, why a/an is used here?
meaning grammar
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
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My father was not a tall man but he was able to command a room. He had a presence about him, the solemnity of an oracle. His hands were thick and leathery—the hands of a man who’d been hard at work all his life—and they grasped the Bible firmly.
I searched with an answer that a/an X about is a fixed phrase, but I still don't understand as presence is unccountable, why a/an is used here?
meaning grammar
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
1
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
My father was not a tall man but he was able to command a room. He had a presence about him, the solemnity of an oracle. His hands were thick and leathery—the hands of a man who’d been hard at work all his life—and they grasped the Bible firmly.
I searched with an answer that a/an X about is a fixed phrase, but I still don't understand as presence is unccountable, why a/an is used here?
meaning grammar
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
My father was not a tall man but he was able to command a room. He had a presence about him, the solemnity of an oracle. His hands were thick and leathery—the hands of a man who’d been hard at work all his life—and they grasped the Bible firmly.
I searched with an answer that a/an X about is a fixed phrase, but I still don't understand as presence is unccountable, why a/an is used here?
meaning grammar
meaning grammar
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
asked 15 hours ago
wtdarkwtdark
234
234
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
wtdark is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
1
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
1
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
1
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
1
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
1
1
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
1
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
1 Answer
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This noun like many others can be both countable and uncountable.
In your case it is countable.
According to Oxford English Dictionary
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presence):
Presence
1.1count noun
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.
‘the monks became aware of a strange presence’
As about collocation with 'about',
look at the example from Reverso.context.net:
"If by that you mean Mr Cochrane is manly, yes, he has a certain presence about him."
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
add a comment |
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This noun like many others can be both countable and uncountable.
In your case it is countable.
According to Oxford English Dictionary
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presence):
Presence
1.1count noun
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.
‘the monks became aware of a strange presence’
As about collocation with 'about',
look at the example from Reverso.context.net:
"If by that you mean Mr Cochrane is manly, yes, he has a certain presence about him."
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
add a comment |
This noun like many others can be both countable and uncountable.
In your case it is countable.
According to Oxford English Dictionary
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presence):
Presence
1.1count noun
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.
‘the monks became aware of a strange presence’
As about collocation with 'about',
look at the example from Reverso.context.net:
"If by that you mean Mr Cochrane is manly, yes, he has a certain presence about him."
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
add a comment |
This noun like many others can be both countable and uncountable.
In your case it is countable.
According to Oxford English Dictionary
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presence):
Presence
1.1count noun
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.
‘the monks became aware of a strange presence’
As about collocation with 'about',
look at the example from Reverso.context.net:
"If by that you mean Mr Cochrane is manly, yes, he has a certain presence about him."
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
This noun like many others can be both countable and uncountable.
In your case it is countable.
According to Oxford English Dictionary
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presence):
Presence
1.1count noun
A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.
‘the monks became aware of a strange presence’
As about collocation with 'about',
look at the example from Reverso.context.net:
"If by that you mean Mr Cochrane is manly, yes, he has a certain presence about him."
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
answered 8 hours ago
user307254user307254
3,5552516
3,5552516
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
Presense is countable. As indeed the article indicates. That's what its whole job is. The article is what makes it countable in the first place.
– RegDwigнt♦
14 hours ago
no, check this in dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence, it is uncountable. --- C2 [ U ] approving a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking:
– wtdark
14 hours ago
The example you quote actually reads "He stood there in the corner of the room, a dark, brooding (= worrying) presence." Thus, despite the annotation reading U = uncountable, the quoted example shows the opposite! Other examples in that entry show various uses of presence as countable or uncountable.
– TrevorD
12 hours ago
1
Yes, a/an can sometimes be used with an uncountable noun, as your example shows. Uncountable nouns referring to personal qualities are quite often like this - he had an efficiency about him that was much appreciated by the management ? they had efficiencies about them that were much appreciated..., she had a sexiness about her that would have sold records even if she hadn't had the voice of the century ? they had sexinesses about them that...
– Minty
12 hours ago
1
NB you would say he had a lot of presence / a great deal of presence, not he had lots of presences. It's hard to articulate why these cases are different but I think it's to with the qualities concerned being being abstract and unquantifiable. We may partake of these qualities but can never own them, if that isn't too mystical. Talent is another example - she had a talent for painting vs ? they both had talents for painting - we would say they both had a talent for painting cf he had a height of 6'6, she had a height of 5'10; they had heights of 6'6 and 5'10 respectively.
– Minty
12 hours ago