Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?

Phooh · Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:32 am *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

I see sentences as below.

1. It's an emergency.
2. It's emergency.

My dictionary says that "emergency" can be both
"countable" and "uncountable" but doesn't say
how we distinguish in use.

Could you tell me what is the defference between
the two?

Phooh

Alan · Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:49 am *Emergency*

Hi Phoo,

Emergency is a countable noun meaning an extreme/dangerous situation happening suddenly. I cannot see the possibility of the noun being used in an uncountable sense.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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Phoo · Wed Apr 19, 2006 13:42 pm *"It's emergency" vs. "It's an emergency"*

You say "Emergency is a countable noun meaning ......."
If it is always a countable noun, we should put article before
the word when it is single, right?
So you should say "An emergency is a countable noun meaning ......"

Can you use a countable noun without a/an or -s/es ?

How about another possiblility for "emergency" as adjective.
In that case, can we say "It's emergency." ?

Jamie (K) · Wed Apr 19, 2006 13:44 pm *"It's emergency" vs. "It's an emergency"*

I agree with Alan. In every situation I can think of, "emergency" would be countable. You need to say, "It's an emergency."

missinquisit · Wed Apr 19, 2006 14:11 pm *Countable?*

wow do i feel stupid. I graduated college 5 years ago and managed to pass out of the first 2 year englishes along with my senior english class and now i see that was a huge mistake. I feel incredibly stupid. Could someone kindly explain to me more in depth the meaning and usage of countable and un(non?)countable nouns? I'm embarassed to say this is the first I have Ever heard those terms used. Yikes.

Alan · Wed Apr 19, 2006 18:20 pm *Emergency*

Hi Phoo,

If you say emergency is a countable noun, you don't use the article because you are referring to the word not the meaning. If you say an emergency is a dangerous situation, you are talking about the word being used in its meaning.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story In Order

Phoo · Wed Apr 19, 2006 19:20 pm *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

Thank you, Alan.

I understand what you mean.
So we don't need to put article before a word whe we
are not talking about the meaning.

Now, let me back to my another previous questions.

1. Is it possible to use "emergency" as an adjective and
say "It's emergency."
2. Longman dictionary says tlhat "emergency can be used as an uncountable noun. Could you give me an example?

Thank you in advacne!!

Phoo

Phoo · Wed Apr 19, 2006 19:58 pm *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

Ups, you already said that you couldn't see the possibility of the noun being used in an uncountable sense.

OK, then how about "a state of emergency"
Couldn't we say "a state of an emergency" ?

Yankee · Wed Apr 19, 2006 23:18 pm *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

Hi Phoo

Did Longman give you "a state of emergency" as an example for "emergency" as a uncountable noun? Laughing

This is a standard phrase and is also correct.

"a state of an emergency" would be wrong in this case.

"Emergency" as an adjective should only be used in combination with a noun:
It was an emergency operation.

You could also say:
He had emergency surgery.

You cannot say:
It's emergency.

Like Alan and Jamie, I can't really think of any situations where the word "emergency" would be used alone as an uncountable noun. There COULD possibly be another phrase or two, but I haven't been able to think of any...

As an adjective, the word "emergency" would also NOT be used alone (without a noun).

Amy
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

Yankee · Wed Apr 19, 2006 23:35 pm *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

Hi missinquisit

to count or not to count, that is the question. Very Happy

An easy (although not perfect) "rule" :
If you can put a number in front of a noun, then you can count it (countable).
If a number doesn't work in front of a noun, then the noun is uncountable.

For example:
You can say:
10 dollars (countable)
12 flowers (countable)

You cannot say:
10 money (uncountable --- grammatically speaking)
12 flour (uncountable)

Also, with uncountable nouns, you cannot use "a" or "an":
You cannot say:
an advice

You can say:
some advice
a piece of advice

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

Jamie (K) · Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:00 am *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

As Amy says, state of emergency is a fixed phrase. There is another one: in case of emergency, as in "In case of emergency, break glass."

I think, however, that "in case of emergency" originated in a telegraphic style of writing and was taken into ordinary language as is.

And, Phoo, don't feel stupid that you didn't know that basic concept of countability. It's normal to miss things, or forget things, and sometimes things are just left out of people's instruction.

Phoo · Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:59 am *Is 'emergency' a countable or an uncountable noun?*

Thank you Amy.
I understand the usage of "emergencey" now.

As for the rule, it sounds a little too simple.
What makes English difficult for those who are not
native speakers is about abstract nouns rather concrete
such as "anxiety" or "imformation" etc.
Some of those world can be used as both countable and
uncountable. It really makes me feel that I would never ever understand your language.

Phoo

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