Using a /an article

Question

Hi, I wonder If anyone could help me with following (it's been nagging me for some time now...). Namely, why do I so often come across using an indefinite article a/an before uncountable nouns:

example no 1: '....an understated elegance with just a touch of gaudiness' (longman and macmillan dictionaries)

example no 2: 'I always come back with a new zest for life.'

Aren't words zest & elegance uncountable??? Or is there a rule that I am not aware of?? Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Aren't words zest & elegance uncountable?? Yes, they are in general, yet here they are used to describe someone's new zest (this 1 is new) and describe a person's fashion style. So, in this context, both words refer 1 person. Try to stand away from your sentence and look at it from a new angle--always consider its context.

Answer 2

They are uncountable, however, there is a countable noun before the uncountable noun. Here they would be understated and new.

Hope this helps!