Please help me understand why the indefinite article is used in this case:
"I had a marvellous time!"
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Ditto Gamilato.
The word "time" can be a countable noun referring to a specific event. "In the time of Julius Caesar ..." means the time period when Julius Caesar was a live. "We had a marvelous time" means the event we were at was marvelous, like we went on a fun vacation or had a pleasant date or some such. "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." There have been many times, i.e. many time periods, and this one was the best in some ways and the worst in others. Etc.
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Sometimes the noun "time" could be countable when referring to a particular time period.
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+1. And under the abstract rubric of "time period" we can include outings and occasions, such as picnics, dinner dates, dances, trips to the museum, concerts, all of which occupy a specific period of time. – Tᴚoɯɐuo Sep 5 '18 at 11:57
