Uses of the Indefinite Article - Class/Proper/abstract/pure class nouns/one/each/every/with/many/what - Parts Of Speech-ESL/Learn English Grammar

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USES OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE


[Sidenote: _Denotes any one of a class._]


188. The most frequent use of the indefinite article is to denote

any one of a class or group of objects: consequently it belongs to

singular words; as in the sentence,--


Near the churchyard gate stands _a_ poor-box, fastened to _a_

post by iron bands and secured by _a_ padlock, with _a_ sloping

wooden roof to keep off the rain.--LONGFELLOW


[Sidenote: _Widens the scope of proper nouns._]


189. When the indefinite article precedes proper names, it alters

them to class names. The qualities or attributes of the object are

made prominent, and transferred to any one possessing them; as,--


The vulgar riot and debauchery, which scarcely disgraced _an

Alcibiades_ or _a Cæsar_, have been exchanged for the higher

ideals of _a Bayard_ or _a Sydney_.--PEARSON


[Sidenote: _With abstract nouns._]


190. _An_ or _a_ before abstract nouns often changes them to half

abstract: the idea of quality remains, but the word now denotes only

one instance or example of things possessing the quality.


[Sidenote: _Become half abstract._]


The simple perception of natural forms is _a delight_.--EMERSON


If thou hadst _a sorrow_ of thine own, the brook might tell thee

of it.--HAWTHORNE


In the first sentence, instead of the general abstract notion of

delight, which cannot be singular or plural, _a delight_ means one

thing delightful, and implies others having the same quality.


So _a sorrow_ means one cause of sorrow, implying that there are

other things that bring sorrow.


[Sidenote: _Become pure class nouns._]


NOTE.--Some abstract nouns become common class nouns with the

indefinite article, referring simply to persons; thus,--


If the poet of the "Rape of the Lock" be not _a wit_, who

deserves to be called so?--THACKERAY.


He had a little brother in London with him at this time,--as

great _a beauty_, as great a dandy, as great a villain.--_Id._


_A youth_ to fortune and to fame unknown.--GRAY.


[Sidenote: _Changes material to class nouns._]


191. _An_ or _a_ before a material noun indicates the change to a

class noun, meaning one kind or a detached portion; as,--


They that dwell up in the steeple,...

Feel a glory in so rolling

On the human heart _a stone_.

--POE.


When God at first made man,

Having _a glass_ of blessings standing by.

--HERBERT.


The roofs were turned into arches of massy stone, joined by _a

cement_ that grew harder by time.--JOHNSON.


[Sidenote: _Like the numeral adjective_ one.]


192. In some cases _an_ or _a_ has the full force of the numeral

adjective _one_. It is shown in the following:--


To every room there was _an_ open and _a_ secret

passage.--JOHNSON.


In a short time these become a small tree, _an_ inverted pyramid

resting on the apex of the other.--THOREAU.


All men are at last of _a_ size.--EMERSON.


At the approach of spring the red squirrels got under my house,

two at _a_ time.--THOREAU.


[Sidenote: _Equivalent to the word_ each _or_ every.]


193. Often, also, the indefinite article has the force of _each_ or

_every_, particularly to express measure or frequency.


It would be so much more pleasant to live at his ease than to

work eight or ten hours _a day_.--BULWER


[Sidenote: _Compare to Sec. 184._]


Strong beer, such as we now buy for eighteenpence _a gallon_, was

then a penny _a gallon_.--FROUDE



[Sidenote: _With_ such, many, what.]


194. _An_ or _a_ is added to the adjectives _such_, _many_, and

_what_, and may be considered a part of these in modifying

substantives.


How was I to pay _such a_ debt?--THACKERAY.


_Many a_ one you and I have had here below.--THACKERAY.


_What a_ world of merriment then melody foretells!--POE.


[Sidenote: _With_ not _and_ many.]


195 LIST III.


A few of comparative form but not comparative meaning:--


After Over Under Nether.


_Not_ and _never_ with _a_ or _an_ are numeral adjectives,

instead of adverbs, which they are in general.


_Not a_ drum was heard, _not a_ funeral note.--WOLFE


My Lord Duke was as hot as a flame at this salute, but said

_never a_ word.--THACKERAY.


NOTE.--All these have the function of adjectives; but in the last

analysis of the expressions, _such_, _many_, _not_, etc., might be

considered as adverbs modifying the article.



[Sidenote: _With_ few _or_ little.]


196. The adjectives _few_ and _little_ have the negative meaning of

_not much_, _not many_, without the article; but when _a_ is put

before them, they have the positive meaning of _some_. Notice the

contrast in the following sentences:--


Of the country beyond the Mississippi _little_ more was known

than of the heart of Africa.--MCMASTER


To both must I of necessity cling, supported always by the hope

that when _a little_ time, _a few_ years, shall have tried me

more fully in their esteem, I may be able to bring them

together.--_Keats's Letters_.


_Few_ of the great characters of history have been so differently

judged as Alexander.--SMITH, _History of Greece_


[Sidenote: _With adjectives, changed to nouns_.]


197. When _the_ is used before adjectives with no substantive

following (Sec. 181 and note), these words are adjectives used as

nouns, or pure nouns; but when _an_ or _a_ precedes such words, they

are always nouns, having the regular use and inflections of nouns; for

example,--


Such are the words _a brave_ should use.--COOPER.


In the great society of wits, John Gay deserves to be _a

favorite_, and to have a good place.--THACKERAY


Only the name of one obscure epigrammatist has been embalmed for

use in the verses of _a rival_.--PEARSON.


Exercise

Bring up sentences with five uses of the indefinite article.



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