Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Gracexie]

'Okay, because the parking near here is difficult.'

The above is a sentence from the textbook of my students. It seems to me that 'the parking' is not correct, because 'parking' is an uncountable noun. Am I correct? it should say 'parking spaces', right?

In addition, 'the parking near here is difficult' sounds very weird, because parking lots themselves cannot be DIFFICULT. Finding parking lots is difficult near here. Right?

Thanks!

[Mister Micawber]

.
The is easily accepted by uncountables (the sugar, the water, etc)-- uncountables do not accept a/an.

The sentence is fine. Perhaps if you view the connotation, you would see the acceptability of the sentence as it stands:

The parking [of cars] near here is difficult [for drivers].
.
_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's