TSL 1024

LANGUAGE DESCRIPTION
Sem. 2/ 2016
Week 2

Prepared by :
Mdm. Joanne Goh
 NOUNS
... refer to people, places, and things.
... the head element of a noun
phrase.
Common nouns | Proper nouns
Concrete nouns | Abstract nouns
 Common Nouns
• Common nouns refer to general names for
people, places, and things.
• They are divided into two classes: count and
noncount nouns (also called mass nouns).
• Count nouns can be made plural (e.g. hands,
tables), while noncount nouns do not have a
plural form (e.g. stuff, clothing).
 Collective nouns
• Collective nouns make up a small group of
count nouns, that refer to a collection, or
group, of individual parts or members (e.g.
family, committee, team).
• Collective nouns in their singular form may be
followed by a singular or plural verb. E.g.
– The faculty is meeting next week.
– The faculty are meeting next week.
 Proper Nouns
• Proper nouns are the names of specific
people, places, and things.
• They can either be singular (e.g. Sarah,
Penang) or plural (the Starks, the Great Lakes).
• They are usually capitalized.
 Concrete Nouns
• Concrete nouns refer to things you can see
and touch, e.g. door, desk.
• Concrete nouns can be countable or
uncountable. E.g.
– finger: concrete and countable
– margarine: concrete but uncountable
 Mass nouns
• Concrete uncountable nouns represent types
of food or material. E.g.
– air, bread, chalk, grass, coffee, dust, electricity,
fog, hay, ice, jam, plastic, rain, salt, tea, water,
wood.
• It is quite helpful to think of these kinds of
material and food as mass nouns, which some
grammarians actually use for all uncountable
nouns.
 Abstract Nouns
• Abstract nouns refer to things you cannot see
or touch, e.g. safety, rule, name, lesson, voice.
• Abstract nouns can be countable or
uncountable. E.g.
– happiness: abstract and uncountable
– trick: abstract but countable
• Abstract uncountable nouns represent
qualities or concepts, e.g. advice, chaos,
education, gratitude, health, love, obedience.