jutfrank
VIP Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- England
- Current Location
- England
To put things simply, we use nouns countably when we refer to them as particular, individual things, as distinct from other things, and we use nouns uncountably when we refer to them as more general. Here are examples I've made up to try to show the difference of meaning.
My morning class is really slow.
I have an extra class this week.
I can't stop—I have a class I have to teach in five minutes.
With the sentences above, the speaker is thinking about a class as a one-hour (or however long) session. In this sense, ' a class' can also be called 'a lesson'.
Where's Nam? Oh, she's gone to class.
It's not right for teachers to answer the phone during class.
When she's in class she's very vocal, but after class she's very quiet.
With the sentences above, the speaker is not thinking about any particular sessions. She's thinking about a more generalised idea of 'class', as a kind of activity or situation where one is sitting in a classroom studying (or teaching).
My morning class is really slow.
I have an extra class this week.
I can't stop—I have a class I have to teach in five minutes.
With the sentences above, the speaker is thinking about a class as a one-hour (or however long) session. In this sense, ' a class' can also be called 'a lesson'.
Where's Nam? Oh, she's gone to class.
It's not right for teachers to answer the phone during class.
When she's in class she's very vocal, but after class she's very quiet.
With the sentences above, the speaker is not thinking about any particular sessions. She's thinking about a more generalised idea of 'class', as a kind of activity or situation where one is sitting in a classroom studying (or teaching).