FOCUS ON LANGUAGE

ARTICLES

continued from No. 28

V. Articles with Abstract Nouns

The use of the indefinite article with an abstract noun may be the result of the noun becoming countable or may be a formal result of the use of a descriptive attribute with almost any abstract noun (exceptions are given below); e.g. The critic who has not a practical knowledge of technique is seldom able to say anything on the subject of real value (Steinbeck); A (good) knowledge of English is essential (Close); It was not a strength to be despised (Snow); No worries about the theatre, no plans, just peace, and forgetfulness, and a quiet slipping away into nothing (D. du Murier) (this last example clearly shows that the meaning of a process, or activity is intact, despite the presence of the article).
The use of the indefinite article in these cases is just a possibility rather than a rigid rule; cf. similar examples without an article: She said ‘good-bye’ with cold affability; She laughed with thrilling scorn; The last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; Her eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity; The baby came out in new beauty; They faded through a door into warm darkness; I tossed half-sick between grotesque reality and frightening dreams. The article is usually absent after the preposition ‘of’: a look of mild astonishment; a kind of quiet thoughtfulness, etc.
Moreover, some abstract nouns are known not to take an indefinite article even if there is a descriptive attribute. The most undoubted words in this group are: weather, news, information, advice, progress, work, permission, music, health, fun, luck. But even with these nouns, we cannot be too categorical, as there do occur uses, rare as they are, that violate the rule; e.g. “The Bishop told me of the goodwill mission on which he was travelling to Barcelona: ‘A very, very valuable work of clearance has been performed’” (E. Waugh); “They will be puzzled by getting from Beethoven not merely a music that they did not expect, but often an orchestral hurly-burly that they may not recognise as well as what they call music at all” (B. Shaw); “My father never allowed the men under him to visit a nature camp unless permission was asked of the head of the group, a permission only given then to exceptionally trusted people” (M. Gilmore). Nevertheless, the uses recommended for practising should be: “This is very valuable work”; “I like quiet music”, etc.

Exercise 1. Use the proper article.

1. ___ nature abhors (= fears) a vacuum. 2. ___ nature of ___ language is social. 3. This phenomenon is of quite ___ different nature. 4. Those eternal problems! When you don’t have any money, your problem is ___ food. When you have ___ money, it’s ___ sex. When you have both, it’s ___ health. If everything is simply fine, then you are frightened of ___ death. 5. People tell me that ___ clear conscience makes you very happy and contented; but ___ full stomach does the business quite as well (Jerome). 6. ___ history of the cup is evil; ___ violence and ___ blood and ___ evil passions have accompanied its possession; ___ evil will perhaps come to you in your turn. 7. I had lived ___ lonely childhood and ___ boyhood straitened by ___ war. 8. Yet it was, in ___ truth, ___ monstrous love such as I had never experienced before, ___ love out of such depths of self as monsters live in. 9. Miss Jenny was doing all the talking tonight, – ___ behaviour which was not like Miss Jenny at all. 10. I felt an unpleasantness in the air, ___ harshness that hadn’t been there before. 11. There was ___ wholesome bulkiness about his person and his position. 12. You have ___ strength of a woman in ___ prime of ___ life. 13. ’I should be glad to think so’, he retorted, with ___ sneer he made no attempt to disguise. 14. Oh, I know you think the young are selfish. So we are, perhaps, but it’s ___ clean selfishness.

Exercise 2. Translate.

1. Знания – сила. 2. У него хорошие знания по истории Англии. З. Не могу сказать, что у меня было безоблачное детство. 4. В чем преимущества образования? 5. Образование, которое дает этот университет, намного шире чем то, которое дают во многих других университетах. 6. Пространство и время это формы существования материи. 7. Сейчас не подходящее время для шуток. 8. Какая у вас короткая память! 9. Память можно улучшить, используя специальные упражнения. 10. Когда у тебя хорошее настроение, жизнь кажется прекрасной. 11. В старые времена существовал ужасный обычай наказывать того, кто принес плохие известия. 12. Какое ужасное невезение! 13. Тебе не на что жаловаться: у тебя есть интересная работа, и ты получаешь большие деньги. 14. Кататься на коньках – огромное удовольствие (fun). 15. Надеюсь, вы в добром здравии. 16. Ты делаешь большие успехи: у тебя хорошее произношение и довольно большой запас слов.

Exercise 3. Use the proper article.

1. He spoke lightly, but with ___ immense confidence. 2. The presence of ___ spiritual life is what distinguishes us from ___ mere animal existence; ours is, no doubt, ___ richer and more complex life. 3. And Butt was saying the other day that we’d get ___ real culture here. 4. It was sharply different from the West, where an evening was hurried from phase to phase toward its close, in ___ continually disappointed anticipation or else in ___ sheer nervous dread. 5. I realised that my friend was in ___ deep trouble. 6. ___ sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows. 7. Pappy used to sing every word for its own value, and that was why it came over so well and with such ___ grace. 8. There was ___ pleasant significance in having been among the last to go. 9. It is unbelievably difficult to convince some people that they are in ___ grave danger – possibly from someone near and dear to them. 10. I realised that ___ intimate revelation was quivering on the horizon. 11. At this point Miss Baker said ‘absolutely’ with sSuch ___ suddenness that I started. 12. His smile was concentrated on you with ___ irresistible prejudice in your favour.

Exercise 4. Translate.

1. Его слушали в полном молчании, но это было молчание недоверия (mistrust). 2. У этого певца хороший голос, но плохой вкус, он часто выбирает вульгарную музыку и плохие стихи. 3. Я не люблю громкую современную музыку. Я предпочитаю старую классическую музыку, особенно музыку 18–19 века. 4. Он испытал странную радость, слышав это, – радость, смешанную с завистью. 5. Физическая география описывает климат и природные ресурсы страны, политическая география имеет дело с политическим устройством (structure) государства. 6. Русская история полна примеров борьбы народа и с захватчиками (invaders), и с тиранией (tyranny) своих собственных правителей (ruler). 7. Современное искусство включает в себя традиции классического европейского искусства и многое из национальных искусств других народов мира. 8. Хотя английская грамматика проще, чем русская, в целом английский язык – по средствам выражения – не беднее русского. 9. Культурный человек это тот, кто живет богатой духовной жизнью. 10. Древнегреческая философия включает в себя материалистическую философию (труды Демокрита) и идеалистическую философию (учение Платона).

Exercise 5. Insert articles where necessary.

1. Isn’t it ___ shame to take such ___ big amount of money for doing such ___ easy work? 2. What he did then brought only ___ shame on his family. 3. My son a thief? What ___ shame! 4. It was only ___ shame that he felt, not ___ pride, as he had expected. 5. He experienced ___ peculiar pleasure when he did mischief. 6. It gives me ___ great pleasure to tell you this news. 7. Lots of people cannot understand ___ pleasure of walking nude in ___ open air on ___ sunny day. 8. It is really ___ relief to have somebody to talk things over with. 9. It was not ___ relief that he felt now, but ___ embarrassment. 10. You are back at last! What ___ relief! 11. As many other prominent politicians, Churchill could not resist the desire to write ___ English History.

V.

Key:

Ex. 1. 1. Nature; 2. The nature, language; 3. a nature; 4. food, money, sex, health, death; 5. a conscience, a stomach; 6. The history, violence, blood, passions, evil; 7. a childhood, a boyhood, war; 8. truth, a love, a love; 9. a behaviour; 10. a harshness; 11. a bulkiness; 12. the strength, the prime, life; 13. a sneer; 14. a selfishness

Ex. 2. 1. knowledge, power; 2. a knowledge, the history; 3. a childhood; 4. education; 5. the education; 6. space, time, the forms, the existence, matter; 7. a time, jokes; 8. a memory; 9. memory; 10. a mood, life; 11. times, a custom, news; 12. luck; 13. work/a job, money; 14. fun; 15. health; 16. progress, a pronunciation, a vocabulary

Ex. 3. 1. confidence; 2. life, existence; a life; 3. culture; 4. an anticipation, a dread; 5. trouble; 6. an emptiness; 7. grace; 8. a significance; 9. danger; 10. a revelation; 11. suddenness; 12. a prejudice

Ex. 4. 1. silence, a silence, mistrust; 2. a voice, taste, music, verses/lyrics;

3. music, music, the music, the centuries; 4. a joy, a joy, envy; 5. geography, the climate, a country, geography, the structure, the state. 6. history, a struggle, the people, the tyranny; 7. art, the traditions, art, the arts, peoples; 8. grammar, means, expression; 9. a person, a life; 10. philosophy, the works, the teaching

Ex. 5. 1. a shame, money, work; 2. shame; 3. a shame; 4. shame, pride; 5. a pleasure; 6. pleasure; 7. the pleasure, the air, a day; 8. a relief; 9. relief, embarrassment; 10. a relief; 11. a history

VI. Revision Exercises on Articles with Uncountable Nouns

Exercise 1. Use an article where necessary.

a) Amphibian is animal able to live both on land and in water. It must spend part of its life cycle in water, where its eggs are laid and fertilised. Eggs then develop into tadpoles (головастики) that have fish-like characteristics: breathing is by means of gills (жабры), blood is pumped by two-chambered heart, and swimming is by means of tail and body movements, made possible by muscles in body wall. Most amphibians undergo metamorphosis into lung-breathing adult with 3-chambered heart.

b) ‘Amoeba proteus’ is species most often studied. Species included in this subclass move by means of flowing extensions of flexible and amorphous body. Extensions also serve in food-catching. Most of species live in fresh water. Important role in maintaining water balance is played by organ designed to expel excess water from body. Food is temporarily stored in food-receptacle, where it is digested by action of enzymes (ферменты) – specific organic chemical substances formed in living cells.

c) Substances known as antibodies fight disease-producing agents. Antibody production is relatively slow process. First of all, body cells must recognise invading agent as ‘foreign’, and then produce antibody-to immobilise invader. Finally, blood cells must go into full scale production of this specific antibody. Antibody is specific against particular type of germ. For example: diphtheria antibody will not be effective against scarlet fever germs.

By Valery Gurevich
to be continued