English question about usage of Nouns.

In #1 it is acceptable though it is confusing out of context. “Content” refers to an antecedent in a previous sentence. Lacking that it is bad grammar. #2, again, is context related, however, more confusing. Likely given something to read or otherwise occupy his time the author is OK. While not choosing to merit the definite article, the indefinite implies “one.” Consult the poem “Jaberwocky” and you decide how much latitude to give this Poor Richard.

#1 would be correct if it read, “Food with a high <sodium> content is bad for one’s or your health. As written it is incomplete.

#2 makes no sense whatsoever to me.

“I could not call you back because I was busy working (at work). ”...given a good work” has no meaning.

“Good work” can be said to someone who has done an excellent job with an assignment of some sort.

“Choosing to merit the definite article” also is not standard English. Choosing to warrant or necessitate…

Personally, I would stay away from the “Jabberwocky” (sp.) if I were learning English or teaching it as a second language.

Poor Richard refers specifically to Ben Franklin’s Old Farmer’s Almanac, which was filled with pithy adages or maxims, all well-written and designed to give folksy advice on life.

Viz: A stitch in time saves nine.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Neither of your sentences is correct as written.

In Number 1, a high what content? Fat content? Sugar content? It does not make any sense the way it is written .

The second sentence does not make sense as written either. Work is not used correctly. Did you mean something like “given a lot of work to do”?

Singular nouns are different from uncountable nouns. Cat and tree are singular nouns, as compared to plural nouns cats and trees. Cat and tree are not uncountable, since it is perfectly correct to speak of a cat or a tree. On the other hand, you would not speak of a water, a food or a work (unless you meant something like a work of art).

Perhaps you meant collective nouns. Army, work force and community are collective nouns. You can use the indefinite article with them.

In the first sentence, food is used properly, although, as the others have indicated, you need to specify what type of content is being referred to.

In the second sentence, it is not right to use the indefinite article “a” with work. You could instead say a good job or perhaps a good work assignment, but even then the overall sentence is a bit awkward.

Both countable nouns and uncountable nouns can be proceeded by “the”.

Countable nouns can be made plural and can be proceeded by “a” or numbers. A can, one cat, two cats.

Uncountable nouns are not proceeded by “a” or numbers. They can be proceeded by “some”. The water, some water, the food, some food. Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb.

“work” is usually uncountable, so your sentence #2 is wrong.

The reason that the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary says “content” is singular in meanings 3 and 4 is because it can be proceeded by “a”: a high fat content. In this context it is simply a singular countable noun.

@LostInParadise : I agree with you about singular nouns are different than uncountable nouns. I think a singular noun is nearly same as a countable noun. A cat, A dog, etc. Also, countable nouns are called plural nouns.
@morphail : I would say if I were to use “work”, it should be used as “a piece of work” or “a lot of work” or some/any work. When we use “job”, we can say “a good job”. But, with work we cannot say “a good work”

“Content” is tricky to use. For instance:

1. The web page and its content is visible when you open the website.
VS
2. The web page and its contents are visible when you open the website.

The verb changes here accordingly and content can be used as a countable noun as well as an uncountable noun. What do you think?

@marinelife : Yes, I meant to say ” a lot of work to do.”
@gailcalled : Thanks for the detailed explanation.

@misty123 with “a piece of work” or “a lot of work” the singular countable nouns are “piece” and “lot”.

@morphail : What do you think about “content” used in the above examples? I think “content” implies over all data of the webpage. On the other hand, “contents” implies that multiple items of the website. I am not sure.

@misty123
You could be right about that.

@misty123: Good question.

@morphail :Thank you.