T1-b Select the correct article to use with a noncount noun.
The many kinds of noncount nouns include the following:
Natural phenomena: thunder, steam, electricity
Natural elements: gold, air, sunlight
Manufacturing materials: steel, wood, cement
Fibers: wool, cotton, rayon
General categories made up of a variety of specific items: money, music, furniture
Abstract ideas: happiness, loyalty, adolescence, wealth
Liquids: milk, gasoline, water
Some nouns naming foodstuffs are always noncount (pork, rice, broccoli); others are noncount when they refer to food as it is eaten (We ate barbecued chicken and fruit) but count when they refer to individual items or varieties (We bought a plump chicken and various fruits).
Delete any article before a general noncount noun.
prepositional phrase A group of words that begins with a preposition and indicates the relation between a word in a sentence and the object following the preposition: Her sunglasses slid under the seat.
adjective clause A clause that modifies a noun or pronoun and is generally introduced by a relative pronoun (such as that or which).
Use the before a noncount noun when it refers to something specific or when it is specified by a prepositional phrase or an adjective clause.
- The coffee is probably cold by now.
- The water on the boat has to be rationed.
- The water that we have left has to be rationed.
You can also introduce noncount nouns referring to specific things with possessive nouns or pronouns (her money) or demonstrative pronouns (that money). Indefinite noncount nouns can also be introduced by words that indicate amount (some money).