NOUNS, THE BASIC

NOUN PHRASE &

PRONOUNS
SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS OF A NOUN
(PHRASE)
Noun phrase typically functions as
• Subject
• Object (Od, Oi)
• Complement (Cs, Co, PC)
 NOUN CLASSIFICATION
I. PROPER NOUNS
1. Definition
2. Classification
II. COMMON NOUNS
1. Count noun & Non-count nouns
2. Concrete & abstract nouns
PROPER NOUNS
DEFINITION
• Names for specific people, places, countries, months, days, holidays,
magazines, etc.
CLASSIFICATION
NOUN CLASSIFICATION
I. PROPER NOUNS
1. Definition
2. Classification
II. COMMON NOUNS
1. Concrete & abstract nouns
Eg.: table, love
2. Count noun & Non-count nouns
Eg.: tigers, ink, paper (count & non-count noun
REFERENCE & THE ARTICLES
1. Specific/ generic reference
• Examples
2. Systems of article usage
• Common nouns with zero articles
• Article usage with common nouns in intensive
relation
3. Generic reference
4. Specific reference
5. Unique reference
SPEFICIFIC/ GENERIC REFERENCE
EXAMPLES:
1. Two tigers are sleeping in the cage.
2. Tigers are dangerous animals.
• In the 1st sentence, the reference is specific, since we
have in mind specific specimens of the class “tiger”.
• In the 2nd sentence, the reference is generic, since we
are thinking of the class “tiger” WITHOUT special
reference to specific tigers.
SYSTEMS OF ARTICLE USAGE
We can set up 2 different systems of article use
depending on the type of reference
 THE + COMMON NOUN

The difference between an ordinary common noun and a common noun turned name
is that the unique reference of the name has been institutionalized, as is made overt in
writing by the use of initial capitals.
Eg.: The Guardian
PROPER NOUNS WITH “THE”

PAGE 79
THE + OTHER CLASSES OF PROPER NOUNS
-4.30-PAGE 80
NOUNS WITH & WITHOUT ARTICLES
NOUNS WITH & WITHOUT ARTICLES
ARTICLE USAGE WITH COMMON
NOUNS
IN INTENSIVE RELATION
NUMBERS
GENDER
CASE-PAGE 93
DEFINITION
Cases indicate the grammatical functions of nouns 
according to their relation with rest of the words in a
sentence.
CLASSIFICATION
1. Unmarked common case
Eg.: boy
2. Marked genitive case
Eg.: boy’s
 FORMS OF THE GENITIVE
INFLECTION
SPELLING
• After singular nouns: add “-’s”
Eg.: my teacher’s book’s
• After plural nouns: put an apostrophe (’) after the plural s (Eg.: our
teachers’ books)
PRONUNCIATION
(Follow the rules for s inflection)
• /s/ (Eg.: books)
• /z/ (Eg.: rooms)
• /iz/ (Eg.: boxes)
ZERO GENITIVES
4.68-Page 94
CHOICE OF –S GENITIVE
GENITIVE MEANINGS-4.70-PAGE 95
THE GROUP GENITIVE
4.74-PAGE 98
DOUBLE GENTIVE
• An of-genitive can be combined with an –s genitive in
a construction called the “double genitive.”
• The noun with –s genitive inflection must be both
definite & personal.
Eg.: An opera’s of Verdi’s
(not: An opera of a friend)
NOUNS, PRONOUNS, & THE BASIC
NOUN PHRASE
A. NOUNS
B. BASIC NOUN PHRASE
C. PRONOUNS
A BASIC NOUN PHRASE
I. DETERMINERS
1. Definition
2. Classification
II. CLOSED-SYSTEM PREMODIFIERS
1. Predeterminers
a. Definition
b. Classification
2. Postdeterminers
a. Definition
b. Classification
3. Quantifiers  
DETERMINERS & NOUNS

PAGE 62
PREDETERMINERS
DEFINITION
•A WORD or PHRASE that occurs BEFORE a determiner,
typically QUANTIFIYING the noun phrase, for
example both or a lot of.
CLASSIFICATION
1.All, both, half
2.Double, twice, three/ four …times
3.One-third, two-fifths, etc.
Within each type, we will make distinctions, according to their
patterning with the classes of SINGULAR, PLURAL COUNT, &
NON-COUNT NOUNS
ALL, BOTH, HALF-PAGE 63
POSTDETERMINERS
DEFINITION
• A limiting noun modifier (as first or few) characterized by
occurrence after the determiner in a noun phrase.
POSITION
• Determiners + postdeterminers + adjectives + head noun
CLASSIFICATION
1. Numerals (ordinal & cardinal)
2. Quantifiers
NUMERALS
I. CARDINAL NUMERALS
1. “One” + singular count nouns
2. Other cardinal numerals (two, three, …) + plural
count nouns
II. ORDINAL NUMERALS & GENERAL ORDINALS
3. Ordinals having one-for-one relation with the
cardinals
2. Next, Last, (An)other, Additional
 QUANTIFIERS
DEFINITION
- a limiting noun modifier expressive of quantity
- quantifiers are used to say how much or how many
Ex: a few people, a lot of problems
CLASSIFICATION
1. Closed-system quantifiers
•Quantifiers with plural count nouns
Ex: many, a few, several
•Quantifiers with non count nouns
Ex: much, a little
II. Open class phrasal quantifiers
PAGE 67
Ex: a lot of, a great deal of
NOUNS, PRONOUNS, & THE BASIC
NOUN PHRASE
A. NOUNS
B. BASIC NOUN PHRASE
C. PRONOUNS
PRONOUNS & NOUNS
PRONOUNS WITH
SPECIFIC/ INDEFINITE REFERENCE
4.78-PAGE 101
PRONOUN CLASSIFICATION
CASE OF PRONOUNS
DEFINITION
Cases indicate the grammatical functions of  pronouns 
according to their relation with rest of the words in a
sentence.
CLASSIFICATION:

PAGE 101
PERSON, GENDER & NUMBER
Personal, possessive, and reflexive pronouns have
distinction of person.
(PAGE 102)
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
• Reflexive pronouns replace a co-referential noun
phrase, normally within the same finite verb clause:
• Eg.: John has hurt himself.
RECIPROCAL PRONOUNS
DEFINITION:
• A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun which is used to
indicate that 2 or more people are carrying out or
have carried out an action of some type, with both
receiving the benefits or consequences of that action
simultaneously.
• Only 2 reciprocal pronouns:
 each other
 one another
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
1. Possessive pronouns combine genitive functions with
pronominal functions.
Eg.: John has cut his finger.
2. The possessives belong to 2 series
• The attributives (Eg.: my, your, etc.)
• The nominals (Eg.: mine, yours, etc.)
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
INTERROGATIVE
•
PRONOUNS
Interrogative pronouns are identical in form and in
case relations with the relative pronouns
• Functional differences between interrogative
pronouns & relative pronouns
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
• Demonstratives have number contrast and can
function both as determiners and pronouns.
UNIVERSAL & PARTITIVE PRONOUNS & DETERMINERS
NON-ASSERTIVE USAGE

1. Main markers of non-assertion:

EITHER, NEITHER, & THE NEGATIVES
CARDINALS & ORDINALS