Lecture 2 Nouns

1. What are nouns

Words are words that name people, places and things are called nouns

2. Classification of Nouns

3. Functions of Nouns

Children at play seldom remember what time it is. (subject)

That was an attractive little black chair. (subject complement)

In the hall I saw some extremely valuable pictures. (object)

They elected him chairman of the board. (object complement)

Mr. Brown, director of the coal mine, should be responsible for the accident. (appositive)

Teachers should be concerned about the students’ moral culture. (prepositional complementation)

He returned last night. (adverbial) A photo is taken each time this button

is pushed. (conjunction)

4. Number of Nouns

Number is a grammatical distinction which determines whether nouns, verbs, adjectives in a language are singular or plural. There are usually two terms of number: singular and plural.

Regular plural: add –s or –es to the base Irregualr plural e.g. basis – bases, criterion – criteria a deer – ten deer one fish – several fish a Japanese – a group of Japanese

Mass nouns Nouns ending in –ics denoting scienc

es: acoustics, mathematics, physics, etc.

Nouns ending in –s denoting diseases: appendicitis, arthritis, shingles, etc.

Nouns ending in –s denoting games: billiards, bowls, darts, etc.

Plural invariables Nouns of tools and articles of dress consis

ting of two equal parts e.g. compasses, jeans, trousers Some collective nouns: cattle, clergy, etc Geographical names of mountain ranges,

water falls, groups of islands Other nouns ending in –s: archives, custo

ms, earnings, minutes, etc

Partitives

1. General partitives: piece, bit, article, item.

2. Partitives related to the shape of things e.g. a cake of soap, a bar of chocolate, a blo

ck of ice, a drop of blood

3. Partitives related to volume e.g. a bottle of ink, two bowls of rice, a cup

of coffee

Partitives

4. Partitives related to the state of action e.g. a fit of laughter/temper, a display of courage,

a flash of hope/light/lightning

5. Partitives denoting pairs, groups, flocks, etc e.g. a pair of shoes/trousers, a group of children, a

pack of hounds/cards

6. Partitives referring to measurement e.g. a foot of cloth, a kilo of flour, a gallon of wine

5. Case of Nouns

A grammatical category sharing the function of a noun or noun phrase in a sentence

In English we have common and genitive cases.

Generative Nouns

Formation, meanings and uses of genitive nouns

Independent genitive and double genitive

Formation of genitive nouns

1. -’s (singular non-s ending) my mother’s arrival my mother-in-law’s death Mary’s and Bob’s books Mary and Bob’s books the bookseller’s or Basel’s, the bookseller’s Dickens’/Dickens’s novels

Formation of genitive nouns

2. -’ (plural –s ending)

the workers' achievements

the students' dormitory

the teachers' reading-room

the heroes' tombs

women’s clothes

the girls’ dormitory

Formation of genitive nouns

For ……’s sake phrase:

for fairness' sakefor appearance' sakefor conscience’ sakefor justice' sakefor goodness‘ sake

Meanings of genitive nouns

1.Possessive genitive

Mr. Brown's suitcase has been taken upstairs

Taiwan is part of China’s territory.

2.Subjective genitive e.g. The Prime Minister’s arrival was reporte

d in the morning paper.

Meanings of genitive nouns

3.Objective genitive

The enemy's defeat brought the war to an end.

The criminal's punishment will be ten years in prison.

*Discussion (Subjective or Objective)

Japan's occupation of the Pacific islands after Pearl Harbour

Japan's occupation by the Allied Powers after her surrender

Meanings of genitive nouns

4.Genitive of origin I haven't received my sister's letter yet. Newton's law was developed in the 17th century. Renmin Ribao's editorials (editorials by Rennin

Ribao), the shippers' invoice (invoice from the shippers) Pauline's letter (letter from Pauline) the girl's story ( story told by the girl)

Meanings of genitive nouns

5. Descriptive genitive I first met her on a summer's day. This workshop makes men's shoes. children's stories (stories for children) women's magazines (magazines for women) a world's fair (a fair sponsored by countries in th

e world) a doctor's degree (a doctorate)

Meanings of genitive nouns

6. Genitive of time, distance, measure, value, etc

two hours' delay, 300 kilometers' distance

five dollars' worth of stamps

50 kilograms' weight

a three days' journey (a journey lasting three days)

two months' absence (absence lasting two months)

two or three minutes' hunting

an hour's work

Uses of genitive nouns

1. Possessive determinersthe boy's father = his fatherthe woman's husband = her husbandthe students' essays = their essaysthe prime minister's arrival = his / her arrivalthe criminal's punishment = his / her punishmentMary's letter = her letterthe stranger's story = his story

Uses of genitive nouns

2. Descriptive genitive and the genitive that denotes time, etc.

a children's book, these children's books an interesting children's book some other new children's books the newly published children's book a / another three days' journey a pleasant three days' journey another very boring three days' journey

Genitive nouns and of-phrase

Interchangeable:

China's foreign policy = the foreign policy of China

an elephant's trunk = the trunk of an elephant

the prime minister's arrival = arrival of the prime minister

the criminal's punishment = punishment of the criminal

Newton's law = the law of Newton

Shakespeare's tragedies = the tragedies of Shakespeare

Genitive nouns and of-phrase

Non-interchangeable: At one’s wits’ end, at swords’ points a hair's breadth, a wolf in sheep's clothing a bird's eye view, at a stone's throw

the opinion of the chairman appointed a month ago

the suggestions of those present at the meetingthe income of the richthe struggle of exploited, the City of Rome

Double genitive A combination of the genitive and the of-p

hrase He is a friend of my father’s. * a window of the house’s some friends of that doctor’s * the friend of the doctor’s that friend of my brother’s the friend of Bob’s who was here last night

Double genitive

He is a friend of my father's .

= He is one of my father's friend

This is a painting of my roommate's .

= This is one of the paintings owned by my roommate

She is a business client of Sir Roger's.

= She is one of Sir Roger's business clients.

Note: The independent genitive in the of-phrase must be definite specific personal reference.

6. Assignments

1.   Read the chapter two. 2.   Do the exercises after the chapter.