Why isn't there an article in “would you wanna grab coffee sometimes?”
I came across this sentence recently and I’m really curious why there isn't an article before coffee. So here’s the sentence:
You don’t need to text me back. I completely understand if you don’t want to talk to me. But on the off chance you do, would you wanna grab coffee sometimes?
articles
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
add a comment |
I came across this sentence recently and I’m really curious why there isn't an article before coffee. So here’s the sentence:
You don’t need to text me back. I completely understand if you don’t want to talk to me. But on the off chance you do, would you wanna grab coffee sometimes?
articles
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
1
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
1
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
1
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50
add a comment |
I came across this sentence recently and I’m really curious why there isn't an article before coffee. So here’s the sentence:
You don’t need to text me back. I completely understand if you don’t want to talk to me. But on the off chance you do, would you wanna grab coffee sometimes?
articles
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
I came across this sentence recently and I’m really curious why there isn't an article before coffee. So here’s the sentence:
You don’t need to text me back. I completely understand if you don’t want to talk to me. But on the off chance you do, would you wanna grab coffee sometimes?
articles
articles
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
edited Jan 14 at 19:22
ljden
1282
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
283
1
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
1
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
1
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50
add a comment |
1
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
1
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
1
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50
1
1
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
1
1
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
1
1
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Many foodstuffs are both countable and uncountable. All the following are idiomatic:
Go for a coffee.
Go for some coffee.
Go for coffee.
The first one can only mean "Go and have a cup of coffee" (though it doesn't rule out having more than one!). The others usually mean that, but in context they could also mean "go and buy some ground coffee or coffee beans".
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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Many foodstuffs are both countable and uncountable. All the following are idiomatic:
Go for a coffee.
Go for some coffee.
Go for coffee.
The first one can only mean "Go and have a cup of coffee" (though it doesn't rule out having more than one!). The others usually mean that, but in context they could also mean "go and buy some ground coffee or coffee beans".
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
add a comment |
Many foodstuffs are both countable and uncountable. All the following are idiomatic:
Go for a coffee.
Go for some coffee.
Go for coffee.
The first one can only mean "Go and have a cup of coffee" (though it doesn't rule out having more than one!). The others usually mean that, but in context they could also mean "go and buy some ground coffee or coffee beans".
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
add a comment |
Many foodstuffs are both countable and uncountable. All the following are idiomatic:
Go for a coffee.
Go for some coffee.
Go for coffee.
The first one can only mean "Go and have a cup of coffee" (though it doesn't rule out having more than one!). The others usually mean that, but in context they could also mean "go and buy some ground coffee or coffee beans".
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
Many foodstuffs are both countable and uncountable. All the following are idiomatic:
Go for a coffee.
Go for some coffee.
Go for coffee.
The first one can only mean "Go and have a cup of coffee" (though it doesn't rule out having more than one!). The others usually mean that, but in context they could also mean "go and buy some ground coffee or coffee beans".
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
edited Jan 14 at 11:51
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29.2k24157
29.2k24157
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
BTW, the word sometimes there suggests multiple future visits to the coffee shop, rather than a single open-ended invitation. It is idiomatic to grab a coffee; "grab coffee" strikes my ear as "off".
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 14:55
1
And "grab coffee sometimes" is definitely an unidiomatic combination. "Grab" here denotes something ad hoc, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment. It's like asking "Would you like to plan to run into each other accidentally now and then?"
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 14 at 16:55
1
"Grab coffee" sounds quite idiomatic to me, but "sometimes" should be "sometime" unless you really intend to suggest recurring events. In this context, a single possible event should be referred to by "sometime".
– Tashus
Jan 14 at 21:50