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Morphology > 2. NOUNS – COUNTABILITY > Flashcards

2. NOUNS – COUNTABILITY Flashcards

1
Q

Syntactic structure of nouns.

A

a noun is the chief item (head) of a noun phrase, as in the new telephones. It is often preceded by determiners, such as the, my, some.

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2
Q

Syntactic function of nouns.

A

a noun functions as the subject, object or complement of a clause. Apples are popular, I like apples, Those objects are apples.

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3
Q

Grammatical morphology of nouns.

A

a noun can change its form to express a contrast in sg./pl. number or to mark the genitive case, as in cat/cats, cat´s/cats´.

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4
Q

Lexical morphology of nouns.

A

a noun can be formed by adding suffixes to a verb, adjective, or another noun.
Some words can be either nouns or verbs. We can tell the difference from the way they are stressed and pronounced.

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5
Q

N and V distinguished by stress.

A

export, import, discount,
progress
When the stress is on the 1st syllable, the word is a N.
When the stress is on the 2nd syllable, the word is a V.

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6
Q

N distinguished by pronunciation.

A

/s/ and /z/ house/house
/f/ and /v/ belief/believe
/0/ and /d/ cloth/clothe

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7
Q

Nouns can be divided into:

A

one - word nouns and compound nouns

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8
Q

Many N are formed from 2, sometimes more parts which are spelt with a hyphen, or not, or separately. g.e.

A

a/ N+N a seaside, a raincoat
b/ Adj+N shorthand (stenogr.), blackbird
c/ Gerund+N a frying pan = a pan that is used for frying
distinguish: a sleeping child is not a compound (participle is used as an Adj.)
the child is sleeping
d/ N+Gerund horse-riding, water-skiing
e/ N+N the first N functions like an Adj. and is always in the sg. They are compound N in places of phrases with „of“ room key
which refer to place kitchen sink
which refer to streets and roads Baker street
which tell us about purpose a bottle-opener
which tell us about materials and substances
which classify types The first word answers
the question What kind of…? cookery book
which tell us about people and things they do story teller
which refer to pieces of apparatus a coffee maker
which refer to containers a sugar bowl
which relate to time a two-hour walk
formed with „self, man, woman, person“
self-control, a policeman, salesperson

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9
Q

Types of nouns?

A

PROPER and COMMON N.
COUNTABLE and UNCOUNTABLE (common nouns)
CONCRETE and ABSTRACT nouns (common un/countable nouns)

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10
Q

What are proper nouns?

A

PROPER NOUNS are names of specific people, places, times, occasions, languages, events, publications, etc. They are written with an initial capital letter.

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11
Q

What are common nouns?

A

all nouns that are not the names of particular people, places, things, ideas, etc. – a man, a country, health, youth

  • two types : 1. Countable nouns (unit nouns)
    2. Uncountable nouns (mass nouns)
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12
Q

Can some N be either count or noncount?

A

Some N can be either count or noncount, depending on their meaning. Cake is a count N in this sentence: Would you like a cake? But it is a noncount N in this one: Do you like cake?
When we use them as single items, they are count N.(an ice-cream)
When we use them as substances, they are noncount N. (ice-cream)

N which refer to objects, things made of the material are count N
(a glass - pohár, an iron - žehlička, papers - noviny)
N which refer only to the material are noncount N. (glass - sklo, iron - železo, paper - papier)

Many noncount N can be used as count N if we refer to particular varieties. The N is usually preceded by an Adj. There is some kind of specification. (an excellent wine, French cheeses)
When we are ordering, we use noncount N as count N. (three coffees, two teas)

Count N refer to something specific
He has had a good education.
(drawings - kresby, a painting - maľov. obraz)
Noncount N refer to something general. Education is important.

Some noncount N cannot be used as count N to refer to a single item. We must use a different word in that case.
(N - laughter, C - a laugh, N - luggage, C - a bag, a case)

Study noncount N and partitives: Cambridge Grammar of English

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13
Q

Nouns can be preceeded by what?

A

by determiners and/or modifiers

- followed by qualifiers to form a noun phrase: the boy, the tall boy, the boy over there, the tall boy over there

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14
Q

Function in a clause.

A

Subject – Our garden is very large.
Object – Catherine sent Peter a long letter.
Complement – They are teachers.
Prepositional complement – There will be 1400 delegates at the conference.

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15
Q

What are simpe nouns?

A

consist of one word and have no suffix or prefix: boy, play, lamp
some function ONLY as nouns (boy)
others function as nouns or verbs (play)
others function as nouns or adjectives (cold)

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16
Q

Derived nouns can be derived by:

A

nouns derived from other nouns

  • age: baggage, frontage, mileage
  • ful: spoonful, armful
  • cy: democracy, lunacy
  • hood: boyhood, childhood
  • dom: kingdom, earldom
  • ing: farming, tubing
  • er: teenager, villager
  • ian/-an: Athenian, musician
  • ery/-ry: machinery, nursery
  • let: booklet, leaflet
  • ese: Japanese, Chinese
  • ling: duckling, gosling
  • ette: cigarette, usherette
  • ship: dictatorship
  • ist: cellist, pianist, tourist

nouns derived from verbs

  • ant: inhabitant, participant
  • ance/-ence: acceptance, existence
  • al: refusal, revival
  • ee: appointee, employee
  • ation: information, invitation
  • er/-or/-ar: driver, actor, beggar
  • ion: situation
  • ing: building, reading, swimming
  • sion: explosion, invasion
  • ure: departure, failure

nouns derived from adjectives (or related to adjectives)

  • ance/-ence: abundance, absence, independence, violence
  • ancy/-ency: constancy, consistency, efficiency
  • ability/-ibility: countability, probability, possibility
  • ity: nationality, security, stupidity
  • ness: happiness, kindness, usefulness, selfishness
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17
Q

What are compound nouns?

A
  • a compound noun = a fixed expression which is made up of more than one word and which functions in a noun phrase as head
  • most compounds consist of two words
  • some consist of three and more words (bring-and-buy sale, brother-in-law, bride-to-be)
  • STRESS – usu. on the 1st syllable:
    a ´darkroom compare: a dark´ room (a room
    which is dark)
    a ´blackbird a black ´bird
    a ´hothouse a hot ´house
  • can be formed from various word classes
    NOUN + NOUN
    NOUN + VERB
    GERUND + NOUN
    ADJECTIVE + GERUND
    NOUN + GERUND
    VERB + ADVERB PARTICLE
    ADJECTIVE + NOUN
    ADVERB PATRICLE + VERB
    VERB + NOUN
    ADVERB PARTICLE + NOUN
18
Q

NOUN + NOUN

A
  • the largest category of compound nouns
  • the first noun usu. functions like an adjective and is nearly alw. in the singular
  • ending in –er (people who do things): cigar, smoker, computer-designer, gamekeeper
  • in place of phrases with OF: car key, chair leg, door knob
  • ending in –man, -woman, -person: fireman, saleswoman
  • type, kind, “operated by”: air rifle, flower shop, headlamp
  • material, substance: cotton blouse, plastic raincoat, gold watch
19
Q

GERUND + NOUN

A

cleaning woman, drinking water, freezing point, frying pan, hiding-place, living-room, waiting room, washing machine

20
Q

ADJECTIVE + NOUN

A

blackboard, blackbird, blueprint, darkroom, greenhouse, greyhound, hothouse, grey matter (=a person´s intelligence

21
Q

NOUN + VERB

A

daybreak, earthquake, headache heartbeat, landslide, nightfall, rainfall, toothache

22
Q

ADJECTIVE + GERUND

A

dry-cleaning

23
Q

VERB + ADVERB PARTICLE

A

back-up, blow-up, breakdown, handover, kick-off, knockout, setback, take-off, turn-out, warm-up, washing-up

24
Q

ADVERB PARTICLE + VERB

A

outlet, income, outcome, inlet, output, intake

25
Q

ADVERB PARTICLE + NOUN

A

onlooker, bystander, off-side

26
Q

What are countable nouns?

A

refer to people or things that can be counted
- they usually have two forms (singular & plural) – a lion – lions, a mouse – mice, a stimulus – stimuli
- in the singular they can be preceded by a/an, every, each, and one: a boy, every boy, each boy, one boy
- in the plural they can be preceded by determiners such as many, few, a few, these, those, several, and numbers except one: many/(a) few/ these/ those/ several/ three boys
- singular form used as subject is followed by a singular verb, plural form is followed by a plural verb (concord/agreement) – A dog likes meat.
Dogs like meat.

27
Q

What are uncountable nouns?

A

refer to general things such as substances, feelings, activities, processes, qualities, abstract ideas, which cannot be counted
- substances (materials, grains, liquids, gases, powder) – cotton, barley, rice, milk, air, dust, flour
- feelings – anger, happiness, joy, pride, relief
- activities, processes – aid, help, sleep, travel, work, swimming
- qualities – courage, cruelty, honesty, patience
- abstract ideas – beauty, death, freedom, fun, life, luck, education
- they do not normally have a plural form
- they cannot normally be preceded by determiners such as a/an, every, each and numbers
- they can be used with quantifiers such as much, little, a little – much time, little wine, a little money
- when they are used as subjects, they are followed by a singular verb –
Electricity is dangerous.
Food was very cheap three years ago.

28
Q

What are concrete nouns?

A

usually have physical existence

  • can be observed and measured
  • a girl, a bottle, a slice, cotton, milk, rice, camping
29
Q

What are abstract nouns?

A

are names of qualities, states, activities, …

  • usually cannot be observed or measured
  • a hope, an idea, a remark, a proposal, a statement, anger, honesty, laughter
30
Q

NOUNS both countable and uncountable

A

depending on their use (sometimes difference in meaning)

31
Q
  1. Uncountable substances/materials & countable objects/items
A

nouns referring to substances or materials are uncountable, objects/items made up from/of the substance or material are countable
brick, cake, carrot, chicken, chocolate, copper, duck, egg, glass, gold, ice, iron, lamb, light, onion, paper, potato, ribbon, rock, stone

32
Q

. Uncountable substances/materials & countable a kind/sort/brand/type of

A

many normally uncountable nouns can be used as countables when they refer to types, sorts, kinds or brands of something
beer, cheese, coffee, food, gas, grass, liquid, metal, oil, sugar, tea, tobacco

33
Q
  1. Uncountable names of dri3. Uncountable names of drinks & countable a glass of, a cup of nks & countable a glass of, a cup of
A

names of drinks are uncountable when we think of them as substances, but they can be countable when we use them with the meaning of a glass of, a cup off (when we are ordering them in a restaurant)

34
Q

Do you want tea or coffee? C or U?

A

U

35
Q

Three coffees, two teas and a brandy, please. C or U?

A

C

36
Q

Do you like coffee/tea/beer/brand? C or U?

A

U

37
Q

Can I have a coffee, please? C or U?

A

C

38
Q
  1. Uncountable in general & countable ´a particular instance of´
A

many abstract nouns are uncountable when they refer to things (activities, states, qualities) in general, and countable when they refer to ´a particular instance´ of something especially when they are modified.

39
Q
  1. Uncountable quality & countable a person having that quality
A

uncountable nouns denote qualities and countable nouns denote persons having these corresponding qualities.

40
Q
  1. Nouns ending in –ing
A

are generally uncountable, but some of them can refer to a specific thing or an event and then they are countable

41
Q
  1. Some uncountable nouns have their countable equivalents
A 
clothing / a garment 		
laughter / a laugh		
luggage / a case, a bag
money / a coin, a pound		
foliage / a leaf			
machinery / a machine
housework / a chore		
poetry / a poem			
permission / a permit
travel / a journey, trip		
scenery / a view			
work / a job, a task

Morphology (1 decks)

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