[Grammar] Background

[learningspirit]

I have a question about the usage of background. According to this dictionary, "background", in the sense of the type of family, social class, or training, is countable. But then there is this:

An Irishman of modest background, he takes a job at an exclusive London club, helping its rich members polish their ground strokes.

,where "an Irishman of modest background" is missing some article before "modest background". Could this be a slight editorial oversight?

 

[MikeNewYork]

No. An article is not used in that comstruction.

John was a man of modest means.

 

[learningspirit]

So, the dictionary is missing something, and this sense of "background" has both countable and uncountable forms?

 

[tedmc]

"Of modest background" is an adjective, which should be singular.

not a teacher

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is adjectival, but I would call it a prepositional phrase.

 

[Roman55]

So, the dictionary is missing something, and this sense of "background" has both countable and uncountable forms?

I am not a teacher.

Different people can have different backgrounds, but each person has a background.

 

[learningspirit]

@MikeNewYork

Would "an Irishman of a modest background" be just as good?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Not for me. I would use "from a modest background".

 

[learningspirit]

@MikeNewYork

Would "an Irishman from modest background", where the uncountable form of "background" is used, be okay?

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is possible, but it would not be my choice.

 

[learningspirit]

Pretty much all dictionaries say that, for this sense of "background", it should be countable only. Could the uncountable form in "an Irishman of modest background" be some sort of regional colloquialism?

 

[tedmc]

Countability is not the issue when it is used as an adjective. Neither is the article required.

not a teacher