Nouns and Noun Phrases

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Different types of Nouns
• Referentinnen Anne Fiedler, Anna Meyer-Toms

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Classification of Nouns Why do we have to
  distinguish different types?
• Test table for noun classes
• four nouns (Sid, book, furniture, brick) that
  appear as head of the noun phrase (as object) in
  the sentence I saw...

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Nouns and Noun Phrases
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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• first noun Sid only one possibility (without any
  determiner)
• ?proper noun
• book, furniture, brick all possibilities
• ?common nouns
• book with determiners the and a, plural
• ?count noun
• furniture without determiner, with the, some
• ?non-count noun
• brick all possibilities
• ?either count or non-count noun

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Noun Classes
• 1) proper nouns
• 2) common nouns count and non-count

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• proper nouns
• word-level units, belong to the category noun,
  e.g. Clinton, Zealand
• (but New Zealand is not a proper noun)
• America (proper noun) The United States of
  America (proper name)

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• function as heads of proper names, but not all
  proper names have proper nouns as their head,
  e.g. the University of Manchester (head of the
  proper name is a common noun)
• proper names

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• proper names
• name specific people, animals, institutions,
  places etc.
• have unique reference
• in writing capital letter
• may consist of combination of proper noun with
  other words

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• are non-count nouns have no contrast in number
• in general only singular form, but some place
  names have a plural form the Alps, the
  Netherlands
• when without unique reference treated as common
  nouns, e.g. I bet its busy on Sundays

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• 2) common nouns
• are either count (countable) or non-count
  (uncountable or mass) nouns
• count nouns can be singular and plural

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Categorization of count nous and non-count nouns
• I. Count Nouns
• Class of individual separable entities of the
  same kind
• Denotatum can be counted one boy, two boys,
  three boys

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• variable, take singular and plural form
  book-books, child-children, tempo-tempi,
  larva-larvae, sheep-sheep
• can be divided by gradability expressions a new
  kind of car, a delicious sort of apple

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• occurence with determiners
• singular count only a/an, each, every, either,
  neither, this, that
• plural count only both, these, those, zero
  article
• singular and plural count the
• occurence with quantifiers
• plural count many, a few, few
• singular and plural count all (the), half (the),
  some, any

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Countability the term of countability applies
  to count nouns but not to mass nouns
• test for countability occurence with cardinal
  numbers
• one plates, two plates, three plates count
• one crockery, two crockeries, three crockeries
  non-count

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Test frame Count nouns Sg
• ____ (zero article) Book is nice to read.
• The___ / A___ The/A book is nice to read.
• Every ______ Every book is nice to read.
• This _______ This book is nice to read.

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Test frame Count nouns Pl
• _____ (zero article) I saw people walking in the
  street.
• The _____ / a____ I saw the/ a people walking
  in the street.
• Many ___ / a few__ I saw many/ a few people
  walking in the street.
• All (the)___ I saw all the people walking...

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• II. Non-count Nouns
• seen as undifferentiated mass/continuum (?mass
  nouns)
• abstract nouns music, information, evidence,
  hope, love, freedom...
• concrete nouns gold, silver, coffee, tea, pork,
  veal, furniture,...

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• denotatum cannot be counted much pork vs. one
  pork, two porks
• invariable, without plural Music is my favourite
  hobby vs. Musics is my favourite hobby.
• denote quantities of substances, can be divided
  only by gradability expression
• piece of furniture, an item of information

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• occurence with determiner this, that, the, zero
  article
• This tea tastes good.
• occurence with quantifier all, much, little,
  some, more, enough
• Theres much hope of winning.

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Test frame Non-count
• a)countability I had one luck two lucks
• b)determiner I had a luck the luck
• c)quantifier
• I had many lucks much luck
• I had a few lucks little luck

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Note The clear use of a word as either count
  noun or non-count noun is a limiting case!
• ? the dual use of a word as count noun and
  non-count noun (mixed classes) is a widespread
  phenomenon

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• III. Mixed Classes
• Count
• I had many difficulties.
• Buy an evening paper.
• The lambs were eating slowly.
• Noun-count
• Hes not had much difficulty in finding me.
• Wrap the parcel in brown paper.
• There is lamb on the menu.
• Would you like some more chocolate?

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Discussion Are the italicised words count nouns
  or non-count nouns? Give reasons!
• 1) This proposal has three advantages.
• 2) They took advantage of us.
• 3) Foreign aid has been reduced again.
• 4) Would you like another coffee?
• 5) Bear these truths constantly in mind.
• 6) He has had many odd experiences.
• 7) There is little hope for him to recover.
• 8) What about some more tea?

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• Answers
• 1) count ? cardinal number three indicates
  countability, plural formation
• 2) non-count ? advantage treated as continuous,
  inseparable entity, zero article
• 3) non-count ? foreign aid treated as continuous,
  inseparable entity, zero article
• 4) count ? another coffee denotes individuated,
  separable entities another cup of coffee

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Nouns and Noun Phrases

• 5) count ? determiner these presupposes that
  there are many truths, plural formation
• 6) count ? quantifier many indicates countability
• 7) non-count ?hope treated as continuous,
  inseparable entity a few hope
• 8) non-count ? tea denotes the whole continuous
  entity of substance