The definite article before "responsibility"

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Should I use the definite article before "responsibility"?
1. "I decided to take all the responsibility to myself."

2. "I feel the responsibility." ( When leaving children alone. So I will never do that)

3. "All the responsibility is mine." (When I have to watch my sister's kids).

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

In other contexts, the article would be incorrect.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't like disagreeing with Rover, but my answer is different.

I find the first one totally unnatural. I would say:

I accept the responsibility.

For the second one I would say:

I am responsible for them.

 

[PeterCW]

I tend to agree with both posts. In all three sentences the use of the definite article is correct but it would be difficult to construct a dialogue in colloquial English where either of the first two would be appropriate.

 

[Yankee]

Hello.

Should I use the definite article before "responsibility"?
1. "I decided to [STRIKE]take[/STRIKE] assume all the responsibility [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] myself."

2. "I feel the responsibility." ( When leaving children alone. So I will never do that) OK.

3. "All the responsibility is mine." OK. Or "The responsibility is all mine." (When I have to watch my sister's kids).

My shot.

 

[Alexey86]

I'm confused about article usage with "responsibility". Here're some examples I've found:

1) "You feel responsibility for everybody in some way — what they're feeling, how they're going, even the guys who aren't playing."
(The New York Times - Sports)

2) "We feel the responsibility for the fans in New York, and we think that major women's tennis is on a real upswing."
(The New Yourk Times - Sports)

3) "There are times that I am afraid, but that makes me stronger. I feel a responsibility for my ancestors when I play." (Vice)

These contexts seem quite similar to me, and yet the articles are different.

 

[Tdol]

For the first, I would use:

I accept all responsibility.

 

[GoesStation]

I'm confused about article usage with "responsibility". Here're some examples I've found:

1) "You feel responsibility for everybody in some way — what they're feeling, how they're going, even the guys who aren't playing."
(The New York Times - Sports)

2) "We feel the responsibility for the fans in New York, and we think that major women's tennis is on a real upswing."
(The New Yourk Times - Sports)

3) "There are times that I am afraid, but that makes me stronger. I feel a responsibility for my ancestors when I play." (Vice)

These contexts seem quite similar to me, and yet the articles are different.

Number 1 and 3 work well for me. Number 2 doesn't work as well but I wouldn't say it's wrong.

 

[Alexey86]

Number 1 and 3 work well for me.

What makes responsibility uncountable in the former and countable in the latter? Would it work the other way around?

Number 2 doesn't work as well but I wouldn't say it's wrong.

What would work well?

 

[GoesStation]

What makes responsibility uncountable in the former and countable in the latter? Would it work the other way around?

It would work the other way around. I don't know the answer to your first question.

 

[Alexey86]

It would work the other way around. I don't know the answer to your first question.

When it comes to nouns that can be both countable and uncountable, it is the context that determines the way we use them, right? So, how do these contexts differ? I mean if you saw a chicken on the table, you wouldn't use "I saw chicken" and "I saw a chicken" interchangeably.

 

[Tarheel]

I came. I saw. (The chicken.) I ate. (The chicken.)

It was yummy! (It had barbecue sauce on it. Yum!)

 

[Tarheel]

If I saw a chicken on the table it would most likely be in edible form. (A reason for using "I saw chicken" does not readily come to me.)

 

[Rachel Adams]

If I saw a chicken on the table it would most likely be in edible form. (A reason for using "I saw chicken" does not readily come to me.)

When we are talking about food that has been cooked I thought only the uncountable form is used. Maybe "I saw chicken" works in BrE?

 

[jutfrank]

These contexts seem quite similar to me, and yet the articles are different.

My advice is to ignore context 2. God only knows why the speaker used an article there. This example is not going to help you, I don't think.

What makes responsibility uncountable in the former and countable in the latter?

In 3, by using a countable noun, the speaker is 'quantizing' his experience (forgive my use of that word) as a singular feeling among others. In other words, he's conceiving it as a 'thing' rather than as 'stuff'. Remember that this is always the difference between countable and uncountable uses.

With this in mind, another way to read context 3 is with an implied [sense of].

I feel a [sense of] responsibility for my ancestors

 

[Alexey86]

In 3, by using a countable noun, the speaker is 'quantizing' his experience

I understand that. My question is: what allows us to use responsibility uncountably and countably in such similar contexts like 1 and 3? This doesn't happen with life/a life, time/a time, glass/a glass, etc. These are never used in similar contexts. What's so special about responsibility?

 

[jutfrank]

My question is: what allows us to use responsibility uncountably and countably in such similar contexts like 1 and 3?

The difference comes down to how the speaker conceives of whatever is denoted by the noun phrase. I can't see how context is especially relevant apart from in that it helps show what the speaker means.

This doesn't happen with life/a life, time/a time, glass/a glass, etc. These are never used in similar contexts. What's so special about responsibility?

Doesn't it? Aren't they? There's nothing special about responsibilty in my mind.

 

[Alexey86]

The difference comes down to how the speaker conceives of whatever is denoted by the noun phrase.

So, if I said, "The origin of a life is unknown," you wouldn't consider it ungrammatical. You'd just think, "Oh, it's just the way Alexey conceives of life."

Doesn't it? Aren't they? There's nothing special about responsibility in my mind.

If I got GS's reply in #10 correctly, we can use both countable and uncountable variants in sentences 1 and 3. I can't think of any case where I could use both time/a time or life/a life the same way.

 

[jutfrank]

So, if I said, "The origin of a life is unknown," you wouldn't consider it ungrammatical.

No, I wouldn't. There's nothing ungrammatical about that, meaning that it doesn't contravene any syntactical rules. It's just that it doesn't really make sense without appropriate context.

You'd just think, "Oh, it's just the way Alexey conceives of life."

No, I'd ask what the hell you mean.

At the most basic level, I understand it like this: the difference between life and a life is that the latter is conceived in the mind as a discrete instantiation of the general concept of the former.

 

[Alexey86]

No, I'd ask what the hell you mean.

That's exactly what I'm talking about!

The origin of life is unknown. (OK)
The origin of a life is unknown. (What the hell does that mean?)

We had a good time. (OK)
We had good time. (Not OK)

I feel a responsibility for my ancestors when I play. (OK)
I feel responsibility for my ancestors when I play. (OK)

Why does responsibility differ from time and life?