The document discusses the grammatical structure of noun phrases. It describes the different classes of nouns including count nouns, noncount nouns, and proper nouns. It also explains the types of determiners that precede nouns like predeterminers, central determiners (articles), and postdeterminers. The use of articles, numbers, and other determiners with count and noncount nouns is outlined. The document also covers noun phrases that indicate quantity, quality, or measure and how nouns can be reclassified between count and noncount.

1. NOUN PHRASE*descriptive grammar

2. ‘BASIC’ NOUN PHRASE- the classes of nouns together with articles or other closed-class determinative elements that can occur before the noun head, including predeterminers like all, central determiners like these, and postdeterminers like last and fewall these last few days

3. NOUN PHRASEsubjectobjectcomplementof clauses and complementof prepositions

4. [1][2][3][4][5][6]The girlThe blonde girlThe blonde girl in blue jeansThe blonde girl wearingblue jeansThe blonde girl whoiswearingblue jeansSheismysister.

5. definite article &nounpremodifyingadjective[1][2][3][4][5][6]prepositional phrasepostmodificationnonfinite clauserelative clausepersonalpronoun

6. Personal pronouns can ‘deputize’ for noun phrases and hence cannot normally occur with determiners such as the definite article, premodification, or (normally) postmodofication:*the blonde she ?she in blue jeans

7. NOUN CLASSESCount Nouns Countable NounsNoncount Nouns Mass Nouns / Uncountable NounsProper Nouns

8. Degree of Variation Between the Noun ClassesI saw. . . (1) (2) (3) (2+3)Sid *book furniture brick*the Sid the book the furniture the brick*a Sid a book *a furniture a brick*some Sid *some book somefurnituresome brick*Sids books *furnitures bricks

9. Degree of Variation Between the Noun Classesw/out anydeterminerw/ the lightlystresseddeterminers (1) (2) (3) (2+3)Sid *book furniture brick*the Sid the book the furniturethe brick*a Sid a book *afurniturea brick*some Sid *some book somefurnituresome brick*Sids books *furnitures bricksplural

10. Degree of Variation Between the Noun Classeswithonly 1 possibilitywith all possibilities (1) (2) (3) (2+3)Sid *book furniture brick*the Sid the book the furniture the brick*a Sid a book *a furniture a brick*some Sid *some book somefurnituresome brick*Sids books *furnitures bricksProper NounCommon Nouns

11. Column 2  bookCOUNT NOUNSindividual countable entitiesNOT undiffrentiated massEXAMPLES: bottle, chair, forest, idea

12. Column 3  furnitureNONCOUNT NOUNSundiffrentiated mass or continuumEXAMPLES: bread, grass, warmth, music

13. Column 2+3- either count nouns or noncount nounsMay be classified grammatically in two ways:1. Lexical class of noun w/c combines the characteristics of count and noncount nouns2. Two separate items, one count and other noncount- such nouns will said to have ‘dual class membership’

14. The house isbuilt of brick. noncountmaterialHe usedbricks to build the house.countableobject

15. I likemusic. I like Sid.the twonouns look superficiallyalike in terms of article usagemusic – ZERO ARTICLE Sid – NO ARTICLE

16. the label ‘zero ’ isappropriate in the case of commonnounswhich have article contrast (eg: music as opposed to the music) in: I likemusic and dancing.I thinkthe music istooloud in here.

17. CONCRETE and ABSTRACT NOUNSconcrete:countbun, pig, toy,…commonabstract:difficulty, remark…concrete:noncountbutter, gold,…nounsabstract:music, homework,…proper:John, Paris, …

18. CONCRETE and ABSTRACT NOUNSCONCRETE NOUNS accessible to the senses, observable, measurableABSTRACT NOUNStypically nonobservable and nonmeasutable

19. may be a count noun (remark/ remarks) or noncount noun (warmth / *warmths)NOUNS WITH ‘DUAL CLASS MEMBERSHIP’ Point of view of both count and noncountA: Would you like a cake?B: No, I don’t like cake. Difference in meaningI want an evening paper. [‘newspaper’]Wrap the parcel up in brown paper. [‘wrapping paper’]

20. NOUNS WITH ‘DUAL CLASS MEMBERSHIP’ Variation of quantifiers (many/much) She’s had manydifficulties. [count] She’s not had muchdifficulty. [noncount] He’s had several odd experiences. [count] He hasn’t had muchexperience. [noncount]

21. NOUNS WITH ‘DUAL CLASS MEMBERSHIP’ Separate lexical items The lambs were eating quietly. [count] animal There is lamb on the menu today. [noncount] the meat from the animalThey raise a great many calves, pigs, and sheep.We eat a great deal of veal, pork, and mutton.

22. NOUNS WITH ‘DUAL CLASS MEMBERSHIP’ Contrast between thenoncount noun money and the count nouns naming different units of money:We haven’t much money left. We’ve only got a few coins/ twodollar bills/ some pound notes.

23. NOUNS WITH ‘DUAL CLASS MEMBERSHIP’“The justification for the count/noncount distinction is based on the grammatical characteristics of the English noun.”

24. RECLASSIFICATION“Nouns may also be shifted from one class to another by means of conversion.”

25. RECLASSIFICATION[1][1a][1b][1c][1d]Do youwanttea or coffee?Can I have a coffee, please. [‘a cup of coffee’]Twocoffees, please. [twocups of coffee’]This isa nice coffee.I likeBraziliancoffeesbest.

26. RECLASSIFICATION[1] normallynoncount[1a] canbereclassified as a count noun[1b]to mean an ‘appropriate unit of’[1c] canbereclassified as a count noun[1d]to mean a ‘kind/sort/brand of’

27. PARTITIVE CONSTRUCTIONSconstructions denoting a part of a whole

28. express both quality partition (a kind of paper) and quantity partition (a piece of paper)QUALITY PARTITIONpartitive count noun (kind, sort, or type) + of-phraseSINGULAR PARTITIVESPLURAL PARTITIVESa new kind of computer new kinds of computersa delicious sort of bread delicious sorts of breadanothertype of research other types of research

29. QUALITY PARTITION“Quality partition of noncount nouns may thus be expressed either by a partitive construction or by reclassification.”A nice kind of coffee – a nice coffeeEnglish types of cheese – English cheeses

30. QUALITY PARTITIONWhether we are dealing with count or noncount nouns, we can express the quality partition in the form: a + adjective + nounWe are importing a new Italian shirt.

31. GENERAL PARTITIVE NOUNS1.Noncount nounsa. General Partitive Nouns - the expression of quantity and thus countability (piece, bit, item)b. Typical Partitives - the expression with specific concrete noncount nouns

32. GENERAL PARTITIVE NOUNSSINGULAR PARTITIVES PLURAL PARTITIVESapiece of cake two pieces of cakeabit of chalk some bits of chalkan item of news several items of news

33. QUANTITY PARTITION“Quantity of noncount nouns may thus often be expressed either by partitive nouns or by reclassification.”two lumps of sugar = two sugars

34. GENERAL PARTITIVE NOUNSThe most widely used partitive expression is a piece of, which can be combined with both concrete and abstract nouns, eg:Concrete: a piece of bacon/chalk/coal/paperAbstract: a piece of advice/information/news/research

35. TYPICAL PARTITIVES- some restricted and descriptive typical partitives:a block of ice/flats <BrE> / seats [in a theathre]/ shares [in a business]a stick of rock [a sweet] <BrE>/candy <AmE>

36. QUANTITY PARTITION2. Plural nounsWhereas the general partitive a piece of can be used with many of the noncount nouns (a piece of paper/ bacon/ news, etc), it cannot be used with plural count nouns. Other partitives are used with them, eg:apacket <BrE>/ pack <espEmE> of cigarettesabunch of flowers/ keys [In formal style, bunch is also used about people, like ‘group’: a bunch of teenagers.]

37. QUANTITY PARTITION3. Singular Count NounsPartition can also be expressed in reference to singular count nouns, eg:a piece of a loafa page of a booka verse of a poem

38. QUANTITY PARTITION3. Singular Count NounsFractional partition can also be expressed by such general quantitative items as half, all, whole + of + noun:that piece (of meat). I’d likehalf ofall ofthe whole of

39. MEASURE PARTITIVES relate to precise quantities denoting length, area, volume, and weightLength: a mile of cableArea: a hectare of landVolume: a quart of milkWeight: a kilo of applesNote the compulsory of

40. MEASURE PARTITIVES can be either singular or plural: a/ one gallon two/ several gallonsof waterIf count, the second noun must be plural:one kilo of applestwo kilos of *apple

41. NONCOUNT NOUNS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING EQUIVALENTSThere is no necessary connection between classes of nouns and entities to which they refer. In some related languages, the nouns corresponding to information, money, news, and work, for example are count nouns, but in English they are noncount: He didn’t give us much information.She doesn’t like hard work.

42. NONCOUNT NOUNS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING EQUIVALENTSSome noncount nouns with count equivalents are given below:NONCOUNT NOUN COUNT EQUIVALENTThis is important information. a piece/bit/word of informationSample of nouns which are noncount in English, but correspond to count nouns in some other languages:anger chess violence

43. DETERMINATIVEThe kind of reference a particular noun phrase has depends on its determinative element.- item which determines it

44. DETERMINATIVESThis function is typically realized by a set of closed-class items, or DETERMINERS, which occur before the noun acting as head of the noun phrase (or before its premodifiers). a bicylce? [indefinite reference]Have you seen the bicylce? [definite reference]

45. DETERMINATIVESThis function is typically realized by a set of closed-class items, or DETERMINERS, which occur before the noun acting as head of the noun phrase (or before its premodifiers).

46. INDEFINITE REFERENCE- is typically indicated by the indefinite article a/an

47. DEFINITE REFERENCE- is typically indicated by the definite article the, but there are also other determiners with a similar function

48. 3 CLASSES OF DETERMINERSPREDETERMINERS (half, all, double)CENTRAL DETERMINERS (the articles the, a/an)POSTDETERMINERS(cardinal and ordinal numbers, many, few)

49. 3 CLASSES OF DETERMINERSWe do not find central determiner + determiner (*their all trouble), or postdeterminer+centraldeterminer+predeterminer (*five the all boys), but only the order I+II+III (all their trouble,all the five boys)

50. CENTRAL DETERMINERSUse of articles with count and noncount nouns COUNT NONCOUNT definite the book the furniture SINGULAR indefinite a book furniture definite the books PLURAL indefinite books

51. ARTICLESThe forms of the articles depend on the initial sound of the following word. It is unstressed (and normal) use, the definite article is always written the but pronounced / / before consonants and / / before vowels. the boy the understanding

52. ARTICLESThe unstressed indefinite article is a before consonants and an before vowels. It is the pronunciation, not the spelling, of the following word that determines their form. a boy a usage an understanding

53. CENTRAL DETERMINERSThe use of articles is not the only possibility for ‘determining’ nouns. Instead of a or the, we may use this/that/every/each/no + noun. Like the articles, these words are called central determiners.

54. CENTRAL DETERMINERSare in a ‘choice realtion’ they occur one instead of anotherare not like all, many, and white which are ‘chain relation’ they occur one after another in the NP (all the many white houses)

55. PREDETERMINERSfollow detreminers or central determiners (if such determiners are present). But they precede any adjectives and other premodifying objects. POSTDETERMINERScan occur before certain central detrminersThe determiners all, both, and half have restrictions on coocurence with determiners and noun heads. They can occur before the articles (all the time), possessive determiners (all my time), demonstrative determiners (all this time).

56. POSTDETERMINERSCARDINAL NUMBERS (my three children)B. ORDINAL NUMBERS AND general ordinals (the first day, the last month)C. CLOSED-CLASS QUANTIFIERS (few people)D. OPEN-CLASS QUANTIFIERS (a large number of people)

57. THE USE OF ARTICLES WITH COMMON NOUNSSPECIFIC REFERENCE – particular specimens of the classGENERIC REFERENCE – a class without reference to the nounA lionand two tigers are sleeping in the cage.Tigers are dangerous animals.