Lecture 2 Nouns

1. Lecture 2 Nouns 1. What are nouns Words are words that name people, places and things are called nouns

2. 2. Classification of Nouns

4. 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)

5. 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)

6. 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

7. Mass nouns • Nouns ending in –ics denoting sciences: acoustics, mathematics, physics, etc. • Nouns ending in –s denoting diseases: appendicitis, arthritis, shingles, etc. • Nouns ending in –s denoting games: billiards, bowls, darts, etc.

8. Plural invariables • Nouns of tools and articles of dress consisting 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, customs, earnings, minutes, etc

9. 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 block 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Generative Nouns • Formation, meanings and uses of genitive nouns • Independent genitive and double genitive

13. 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

14. 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

15. Formation of genitive nouns For ……’s sake phrase: for fairness' sake for appearance' sake for conscience’ sake for justice' sake for goodness‘ sake

16. 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 reported in the morning paper.

17. 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

18. 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)

19. 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 the world) a doctor's degree (a doctorate)

20. 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

21. Uses of genitive nouns 1. Possessive determiners the boy's father = his father the woman's husband = her husband the students' essays = their essays the prime minister's arrival = his / her arrival the criminal's punishment = his / her punishment Mary's letter = her letter the stranger's story = his story

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 meeting the income of the rich the struggle of exploited, the City of Rome

25. Double genitive • A combination of the genitive and the of-phrase • 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

26. 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.

27. 6. Assignments • 1.   Read the chapter two. • 2.   Do the exercises after the chapter.