We discuss and analyze the absorption properties of a weak probe field in a typical four-level atomic system in the presence of a spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) term. The influences of the SGC and a coherent pump field on the probe absorption-amplification are investigated. The results show that the absorption of such a weak probe field can be dramatically enhanced due to the SGC effect. At the same time, the probe-absorption profile exhibits a two-peak structure and the probe-absorption peak gradually decreases as the pump intensity increases. On the contrary, the amplification of such a weak probe field near the line center of the probe transition can be achieved by adjusting the coherent pump field intensity in the absence of the SGC effect.