[Grammar] indefinite article and uncountable nouns

[Jurohkl]

Hi
Could anybody help me to answer this question please?
There was a long silence in the conference room.
Why is the indefinite article a used with silence in the above sentence? Is't silence the uncountable noun?
Thank you very much

 

[5jj]

Could anybody help me to answer this question please?
There was a long silence in the conference room.
Why is the indefinite article 'a' used with 'silence' in the above sentence? Isn't 'silence' [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] an uncountable noun?

There are few nouns in English that are always and only either uncountable or countable . 'Silence' meaning 'absence of noise/sound' is almot always uncountable. When it means 'a time/situation in which no word is spoken', it can can be either countable or uncountable.

 

[Jurohkl]

Thank you fivejedjon