§41. Uncountable concrete nouns (names of materials) are generally used without any article. The absence of the article has nominating force.

e.g. These sleeping pills should be dissolved in water.

She had nothing in the medicine chest but toothpaste and mouth-wash and shampoo.

Unlike uncountable abstract nouns, names of materials are used without any article even if they are modified by a descrip- tive attribute.

e.g. She said: "I knitted the socks myself of thick grey wool." I ticked off the names written in violet ink. He took out of his pocket an object wrapped in tissue paper.

§ 42. The definite article in its restricting function is used with names of materials if they are restricted in their quantity or by reason of locality.

e.g. The boss took up a pen and picked a fly out of the ink. Together they walked through the slush and mud. He observed everybody who came in, as they shook the thin watery snow from their hats and coats.

Note 1. However, there is no restriction implied in such phrases and sentences as: a bottle of milk, a cup of tea or The ground was covered with snow. The pond was covered with ice.

Note 2. As is seen from the examples above, most uncountable concrete nouns are names of materials. However, there are a few other uncountable concrete nouns which are not names of materials (e.g. machinery, equipment, furniture and some others). The same rules are applied to them.

e.g. She hoped she would save enough money to buy new furniture. The furniture they had was enough for a much bigger house.

§ 43. Sometimes, owing to a change in meaning, names of ma- terials become countable ^J and as such they are used with articles in accordance with the rules for countable nouns. That means that they may then be used with the indefinite article.

Names of materials become countable nouns in the following cases:

a) when various sorts of food products and materials are meant, e.g. They are now giving you bad teas in the club.

There is a beautiful display of cottons in the shop window.

b) when a portion of food or drink is meant,

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

We went into the pub and I ordered two whiskies. "A salad and two coffees will do," she said smiling.

¹ In the waters of the Pacific, the snows of Kilimanjaro or the sands of the Sahara the plural does not signify any change in meaning but is purely a stylistic device.

с) sometimes the change of meaning is quite considerable — the noun comes to indicate an object made of a certain material,

e.g. A full glass of orange juice stood beside him. There was a tin of sardines on the table.

The Use of Articles with Some Semantic Groups of Nouns

§ 44. There are certain semantic groups of nouns which are very common in English. These nouns are sometimes used as countables and sometimes as uncountables. Besides, they are of- ten found as part of set phrases. They include the following se- mantic groups:

Names of Parts of the Day