Answers to Questions About Articles

Answers to Questions About Articles Answers to Questions About Articles Answers to Questions About Articles By Mark Nichol 1. I found the follow information about the indefinite article a in The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: â€Å"used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them, or phrase following them. For example, â€Å"a good knowledge of French†; â€Å"a sadness that won’t go away.† I dont understand the information. The dictionary says that the a is used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them. But, as far as I know, the indefinite article a cannot be used in front of uncountable nouns. Does the information mean that we can always use the indefinite article a in front of uncountable nouns that have an adjective in front of them? Is it a rule? Mass, or noncount, nouns can be preceded by the indefinite article a when they are modified by a preceding adjective or a subsequent phrase: For example, though you would refer to bravery as courage, not â€Å"a courage,† you can write of â€Å"an uncommon courage† and â€Å"a courage like no other.† However, the passage from the resource you mentioned refers only to the possibility of the former type of usage, not to its ubiquity; it is rare. 2. Something I would like some clarification on is the use of a or an before the word holistic. I have been taught an, but this doesn’t seem to make sense to me, as there are many instances when a word beginning with h is preceded by a rather than an. Are you able to shed some light on this? Use a or an before a word that begins with the letter h depending on whether the h is pronounced: â€Å"a historic occasion,† but â€Å"an honest mistake.† 3. I don’t know what to do with the names of institutions when they call themselves a name with the in the title for example, â€Å"the Open Door.† In the middle of a sentence, do you have to capitalize the? Would you say, â€Å"We met at The Open Door†? The direct article should be lowercase even when it is integral to an entity’s name (as in â€Å"the American Automobile Association,† when it would not be referred to, minus the, as American Automobile Association†), but many entities insist on capitalizing it as part of a branding identity. (And it’s best to do so for indirect articles, as in, for example, the name of a community center called A Place for Teens.) If you work for the Open Door or it’s giving your organization money or other consideration and management at the Open Door wants the name treated as â€Å"The Open Door,† treat it as â€Å"The Open Door.† Otherwise, style it â€Å"the Open Door.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business EmailsRules for Capitalization in TitlesComment, Suggestion, and Feedback