in conversation vs in a conversation

[Alexey86]

a) "She's very much in the know about the Internet, magazines, films. She would never be lost in a conversation".
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/11/style/weddings-vows-elizabeth-johnson-and-josh-epstein.html

b) "We lost some people, but they called to tell us they were going somewhere else. It allows us to engage in a conversation with people".
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/24/...livelier-dean-speaks-but-reassuring-mode.html

c) The Independent on Sunday conducted a highly scientific piece of research, observing the practices of people at the checkout over an hour on a hot Friday afternoon. Do customers engage in conversation? How much eye contact is there? Does anyone smile?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/how-mind-your-frozen-peas-queues-8692599.html

d) But not long after, a colleague was at a dinner party where the novelist Jonathan Franzen was her seatmate. Somehow, my column came up in conversation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/nyregion/08nyc.html


Why is it a conversation in (a-b) and just conversation in (c-d)?

 

[Tarheel]

In the first two they are not talking about any conversation in particular but about conversation in general. In the third one, engage in conversation means talk to. In the fourth one, in conversation means while they were talking.

I hope that helps.

 

[Alexey86]

In the first two they are not talking about any conversation in particular but about conversation in general. In the third one, engage in conversation means talk to. In the fourth one, in conversationmeans while they were talking.

Put aside the author's intention, would conversation in (a-b) and a conversation in (c-d) make sense to you? I mean if you saw It allows us to engage in conversation with people in b), would it strike you as odd or not?

 

[jutfrank]

a) This is talking about one particular conversation, so the article is necessary. The writer is imagining a specific situation, with one discrete conversation.

b) I don't want to comment on this one because I don't understand the use very well. (I can't access NYT content.)

c) This is a good example of conversation meant generally, thus no article.

d) This is a good example of use of the phrase come up in conversation, where the article is not used. Again, it is a general reference—not to any specific conversation.

 

[Tarheel]

It's not odd at all. It's just a usage that's unfamiliar to you, Alexy.

You are an advanced learner, and you should be (and probably are) making good use of context in understanding things.

The same word can be used several different ways, and it can take some getting used to.

 

[Alexey86]

a) This is talking about one particular conversation, so the article is necessary. The writer is imagining a specific situation, with one discrete conversation.

Do you mean it is the author's imagination/intention that makes the article necessary, not the grammar or semantics of the example itself? I mean if the original example was She would never be lost in conversation, would you say This is talking about conversation in general, so the article isn't needed. The writer is not imagining a discrete conversation"? So, it's all about the speaker's intention in this case, right?

 

[jutfrank]

Do you mean it is the author's imagination/intention that makes the article necessary, not the grammar or semantics of the example itself?

In a way, yes. I'd prefer to say it's the meaning that determines the use. (I mean speaker meaning, of course.)

I mean if the original example was She would never be lost in conversation, would you say This is talking about conversation in general, so the article isn't needed. The writer is not imagining a discrete conversation"? So, it's all about the speaker's intention in this case, right?

Yes, exactly. This is important to remember.