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 2 days ago
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
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Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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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 2 days ago
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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 2 days ago
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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 2 days ago
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 days ago
ljden
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 days ago
ljden
1282
edited 2 days ago
ljden
1282
edited 2 days ago
ljden
1282
1282
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
asked Jan 13 at 20:12
EleanorEleanor
283
283
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Eleanor is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
"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
2 days ago
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
29k24156
add a comment |
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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
29k24156
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
29k24156
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
29k24156
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
29k24156
edited 2 days ago
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29k24156
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29k24156
answered Jan 13 at 20:55
Colin FineColin Fine
29k24156
29k24156
add a comment |
add a comment |
Eleanor is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago
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
2 days ago