The Use of Articles with Material Nouns

Most material nouns do not have plural forms and are never used with the indefinite article. Yet the English language makes it possible to look upon some object from the point of view of both count and material, as in the case of cake:

a cake, two cakes, several cakes

I’d like

some cake, another piece of cake

There are many nouns with dual class membership which often have considerable difference in meaning in the two classes: to read an evening paper ― to wrap up a present in brown paper, to press clothes with an iron ― to use tools made of iron.

1. When material nouns have generic reference they are used without any article. This is the case with mass nouns referring to the whole class:

This is lead, not silver.

Blood is thicker than water.

It was not built of brick or lofty stone, but of wood and plaster.

On the travel he drank tea, but in the cabin it was thick coffee with sugar and tinned milk.

Material nouns take no article when they are modified by descriptive attributes:

He sat there for a long time, drinking cup after cup of strong black tea.

The men moved heavily as though they were walking in thick mud.

Names of material can change their meaning and become count nouns when:

a) Various sorts of materials and food products are meant:

They are now giving you bad teas at the club.

“And now,” announced Vernier, “the king of wines”.

There never was a better wine than Chambertin, and there never was a better Chambertin than nineteen-eleven.”

b) A portion of food or drink is meant:

If you want to please the boy, buy him an ice.

“I would rather have a whisky.”

Note that this use is restricted to cafes and restaurants. For example, you might ask for two teas in a cafe, but people in their own home would probably say Would you like some tea? or Would you like a cup of tea? rather than“Would you like a tea?

2. In specific use, i.e. when a definite part of the substance is meant, material nouns take the definite article. Identification is based on the linguistic context or situation of utterance.

Linguistic context:

a). Reference backwards: identification is made by something already said (by prior mention):

Here’s a glass, some water and three coins. Watch! I pour the water into the glass, then drop the coins one by one into the water.

She brought him milk to drink, and food: he couldn’t touch the food, but he drank the milk greedily.

b). Reference forwards: identification is made by something about to be said when names of material are modified by a particularizing attribute:

The water in this glass has now turned pink.

The wine on the table was served in pretty glasses.

He poured the fragrant golden wine that accompanied the lobster.

Situation of utterance

Pass me the salt, please.

Lets start our breakfast. The coffee will be cold.

The Use of Articles with Predicative Nouns and Nouns in Apposition

1. As a rule, predicative and appositive nouns are used with the classifying indefinite article which shows that the speaker is characterizing a person, object or event as a specimen of a certain class of thing. With plural nouns no article is used:

She is really an excellent creature but a complete fool, as I said.

I had several companions and they have all been complete fools.

2. If there is a limiting modifier, predicative and appositive nouns are used with the definite article:

He is the only person here with medical knowledge.

Philip had been the hero of his childhood.

3. If predicative and appositive nouns denote the position (rank, state, post or occupation) which is unique, i.e. can be occupied by one person at a time, either no article or the definite article is used. These nouns are often used after the verbs to appoint, to choose, to elect, to become and some others:

Mr. Henderson is manager, not under-manager any longer.

His ideal was professor Edward Edwards, head of the Department of Chemistry.

They chose him chairman of the Society.

He was elected (the) President of the country.

The definite article tends to be left out in sentences like:

It was nearly 40 years before she became Queen.

When he was President he often longed for more privacy.

As some grammars point out, it would be unnatural to leave in the definite article and say “She became the Queen” or “When he was the President” though the article can be used when the noun is followed by of.

Note that when talking about a person rather than describing someone’s role you need an article: The Queen is strongly against the project.

Note the absence of article in set expressions with the verb to turn: to turn traitor, to turn miser, to turn pirate.

4. The nouns son and daughter predicatively and appositively generally take the definite article when modified by an of-phrase if they express mere relationship: She is the daughter of a doctor.

If the speaker wants to emphasize the idea that there are several sons and daughter in the family, the indefinite article is used: She is a daughter of a doctor.

When the stress is laid on the social position of the person in question, no article is used: She is daughter of a doctor.

5. No article is used in structures with enough where predicative nouns acquire an adjectival character, denoting a certain characteristic of the person in question: Surely Bella isn’t fool enough to believe that sort of stuff?

6. The article is also omitted when predicative nouns are used in clauses of concession with inverted word order: Child as he was, his judgement was sound.

7. If the appositive noun denotes a well-known person or work of art, the definite article is generally used: John Galsworthy, the famous English writer, was of a Devonshire family.

But if the person or work of article is not widely known, the indefinite article is used: “Pericles”, a comedy by Shakespeare, is hardly ever staged.