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fluffyhamster · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:26 pm Post subject: [Un]countability codings

I was leafing through the Oxford Pocket Learner's Dictionary earlier today and happened to notice that 'imposition' was coded [U, C]. Turning to the MED I found the following entries/examples:

johnslat · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:55 pm Post subject:

Dear fluffyhamster,

1 [uncountable]
the act of introducing something such as a new law or rule, or a new tax
the imposition of martial law
the imposition of tax on domestic fuel

I believe that only the article "an" would be inappropriate in the examples given above.

It would be unusual, however, be come across examples in which "the" would be omitted (i.e. the "general" rather than "specific" uncountable.

How much imposition can we take?

Regards,
John

fluffyhamster · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:08 pm Post subject:

Hi John.

Yes, the indefinite article doesn't go too well there (or would probably involve changes elsewhere: the government is considering [imposing] a tax on domestic fuel).

The [U] coding suggests the 'the' in the example following it could be omitted, by analogy with "proper" uncountables/uncountable usages, which seems misleading. But hopefully students will be guided more by the examples than the codes, and turn to and be able to follow the clearer treatments in the entries for 'water', 'love', etc.