Thread: Determiner
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Old 21-Nov-2004, 10:59
jack jack is offline
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jack
Default Re: Determiner

Thanks.
Quote:
1. The 80mm-diameter SmartCool case fan cools and protects your PC from a heat-related failure.
Using 'a' makes the word 'failure' refer to a specific incident, not to failure in general. It sounds okay in some contexts, but this isn't really one of them.
What about this?
1. The 80mm-diameter SmartCool case fan cools and protects your PC from
heat-related failures. (Is 'failures' in general now? Or does it mean different kinds of failures?)

2. The 80mm-diameter SmartCool case fan cools and protects your PC from
heat-related failure. (So when I use this without a determiner, does it mean 'failure' is not countable?)

Quote:
That's right. For example, you would say 'a glass of water', or 'a bowl of water', but not 'a water'. Glasses and bowls are countable. Water is not.
Quote:
I want six slices of apple.

I still don't get this one. Why is this correct without the determiner? 'Apple' is countable? So when I don't use the determiner, does it mean it is not countable and 'apples' in general?)

http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=281
3. You can maximize your system performance with (a/the) Monster cable. (Is 'a/the' omitted here? If so, how do I know if it is 'a' or 'the' or none of the two? Which makes 'cable' uncountable?

Last edited by jack; 21-Nov-2004 at 12:34.
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