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14-Jan-2007, 14:21
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: May 2004 Country: Czech Republic
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| |  travel/journey
Last year my uncly went on a very interesting travel in South America.
It is said that "travel" should be replaced with "journey" because travel never takes "a". I just don't understand why!
The indefinite article is connected with the adjective (as in "a merry Christmas"), isn't it?
My second question is associated with the preposition used in front of "South America". Why isn't "to" or "into" used instead? |
14-Jan-2007, 14:36
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| | Re: travel/journey
As a noun, you cannot use "travel" to mean the same as "journey". Sometimes you will see "travels" (in the plural) to mean generally travelling around, but not for a specific journey, as here.
"In" implies that your uncle didn't just travel to South America, he actually went on a long journey and saw quite a lot of South America. |
14-Jan-2007, 16:40
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| | Re: travel/journey
Thanks. |
15-Jan-2007, 06:43
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| | Re: travel/journey
Hi, Lenka,
Travel is uncountable, that's why no article. Besides, it's a matter of collocations: go on a journey, tour, trip, voyage, cruise.
Cheers |
15-Jan-2007, 16:21
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| | Re: travel/journey
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble  Hi, Lenka,
Travel is uncountable, that's why no article. Besides, it's a matter of collocations: go on a journey, tour, trip, voyage, cruise.
Cheers | Well, but "Christmas" is also uncountable and you say " a merry Christmas". |
16-Jan-2007, 01:51
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| | Re: travel/journey
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenka Well, but "Christmas" is also uncountable and you say "a merry Christmas". | Is 'Christmas' really uncountable?
In 1999, we had a great/lousy Christmas.
That was a dynamite Christmas we just had.
Maybe 'a Merry Christmas' and my use of Christmas is a shortened "Christmas season". |
16-Jan-2007, 19:34
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| | Re: travel/journey
Quote:
Originally Posted by riverkid Is 'Christmas' really uncountable?
In 1999, we had a great/lousy Christmas.
That was a dynamite Christmas we just had.
Maybe 'a Merry Christmas' and my use of Christmas is a shortened "Christmas season". | You are right... I was mistaken. I thought it was uncountable as I have never heard the (or an? which article should I use here?) expression "Christmases".
Anyway, according to this Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press it is countable or uncountable. I just don't understand when (under which terms and circumstances) it is considered countable... How can I recognize it? | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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