He has an excessive appetite.

[thehammer]

Should I use a/an before excessive?

1- He has an excessive appetite.
2- An excessive use of fertilisers can harm soil's productivity.
3- He has an excessive interest in swimming.
4- He has an excessive book.

I have sometimes seen a/an being used with excessive when nouns are countable and sometimes not. Could you please explain?

 

[Barque]

The "an" qualifies the noun described by "excessive". But "an" is used because "excessive" starts with a vowel sound. "A" isn't used with "excessive".

 

[thehammer]

The "an" qualifies the noun described by "excessive". But "an" is used because "excessive" starts with a vowel sound. "A" isn't used with "excessive"

Does 'He has an excessive book" mean "he has an extra book"?

 

[Barque]

Should I use a/an before excessive?

An.

 

[Barque]

Does 'He has an excessive book" mean "he has an extra book"?

This sentence makes no sense to me. Where did you get it from?

I'll go so far as to say it's rubbish.

 

[Barque]

No, it doesn't mean he has an extra book. It means nothing. It's rubbish.

 

[thehammer]

This sentence makes no sense to me. Where did you get it from?

I'll go so far as to say it's rubbish.

They all are my own sentences.

 

[Barque]

2 works.

1 and 3 are understandable.

4 is rubbish.

 

[emsr2d2]

Does "He has an excessive book" mean "He has an extra book"?

You wrote the sentence. Did you think it meant the same as "He has an extra book"?

 

[Barque]

You wrote the sentence. Did you think it meant the same as "He has an extra book"?

If you did, you're wrong.

 

[thehammer]

Women with (an) excessive sex drive (sex mania) are generally termed nymphomaniacs.

When I was reading an article I saw this sentence. In the sentence, there was no article before excessive. I searched on ngram and found a lot of examples of 'an excessive sex drive'. Can you please explain?

 

[thehammer]

You wrote the sentence. Did you think it meant the same as "He has an extra book"?

No. The sentence does not make sense I agree. I thought it could mean 'extra' so I put it as an example there.

 

[Barque]

When I was reading an article I saw this sentence. In the sentence, there was no article before excessive. I searched on ngram and found a lot of examples of 'an excessive sex drive'. Can you please explain?

What's there to explain? It works with and without an article.

It also applies to men.

Men with [an] excessive sex drive generally get into trouble and make fools of themselves.

 

[Barque]

No. The sentence does not make sense I agree. I thought it could mean 'extra' so I put it as an example there.

If you think it doesn't make sense, why did you use it?

 

[emsr2d2]

"Excessive" means "more than necessary". If you wanted to use it in your context of books, it would need to be "He has an excessive number of books".

 

[thehammer]

What's there to explain? It works with and without an article.

It also applies to men.

Men with [an] excessive sex drive generally get into trouble and make fools of themselves.

Thank you Barque. My problem is here that In post #1 'an' is necessary but in the post #12 why is 'an' not necessary?

 

[thehammer]

If you think it doesn't make sense, why did you use it?

I should not have. I thought It could mean extra.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't see using it without the article (an).

It (excessive) is not in post #12.

 

[thehammer]

I don't see using it without the article (an).

It (excessive) is not in post #12.

Sorry it's #11

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry. I meant it's #11.