A + adjective + uncount noun ?!

Question

According to Collins Cobuild Advanced Dictionary of American English, "You use a or an in front of an uncount noun when that noun follows an adjective, or when the no un is followed by words that describe it more fully." Ex. Bollinger 'RD' is a rare, highly prized wine.

However, a reading passage in the Official SAT Study Guide has the following sentence:
Properly speaking, a movement is a continuous, collective effort to bring about fundamental social reform

Shouldn't 'fundamental social reform' be preceded by a definite article since the uncountable noun 'reform' is preceded by an adjective?

I'll appreciate your replies.

-Jin

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ZhenXAccording to Collins Cobuild Advanced Dictionary of American English, "You use a or an in front of an uncount noun when that noun follows an adjective, or when the no un is followed by words that describe it more fully." Ex. Bollinger 'RD' is a rare, highly prized wine. ...

Properly speaking, a movement is a continuous, collective effort to bring about fundamental social reform

Shouldn't 'fundamental social reform' be preceded by a definite article since the uncountable noun 'reform' is preceded by an adjective?

The principle outlined in the Collins Cobuild Dictionary is only approximate. The topic of the use of certain determiners like a and an with count and non-count nouns is very complex, and it is not always possible in a dictionary to be explicit about the details without writing many, many pages of explanations. Even experts in grammar find puzzling cases which are difficult to explain.

However, you do not always have to use a (or an) when an adjective is present. You use a (or an) when you want to express the countable form. You omit a (or an) when you want to express the uncountable form.

In writing to bring about fundamental social reform the author wanted us to understand reform as uncountable. He wants us to think of the phenomenon of reform in a general way. He is talking about the reform process.

He would have written about a fundamental social reform if he had wanted us to understand reform as countable, that is, as particular reforms, such as the reform of health care, the reform of voting laws, the reform of the financial system, and so on.

(Note that some nouns cannot take a (or an) at all, whether accompanied by an adjective or not, for example, equipment, information, and furniture.)

CJ

Mister Micawber · Answer

Just to make it abundantly clear, the Collins Cobuild comment would better read like this:

You can sometimes use a or an in front of an uncount noun when that noun follows an adjective, or when the no un is followed by words that describe it more fully.

A + adjective + uncount noun ?!

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬