Countability: Nouns and Noun Groups: Representing Things

4/29/2020
Nouns and Noun Groups: Representing Things
• A noun is a word whose experiential function is to

represent a Thing or an Entity, where the Thing can
be an inanimate or animate (including human) entity.
• Things come in the form of either

(a) discrete entities (countable) or
(b) an undifferentiated whole (uncountable).
Countability
• Experientially, nouns representing Type A

things are Count Nouns, and nouns
representing Type B things are Mass Nouns.
• Morphologically, Count Nouns have both

singular and plural forms; Mass nouns can
have ONLY one form.
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NOUN
Count Mass
Singular Plural ONE form

form form only
Nouns to Noun Groups
• A noun can be expanded into a Noun Group.

• The (complete) structure of a Noun Group is
as follows:
PREMODIFIER HEAD POSTMODIFIER
Can perform one of Representing a Thing, Performs the function
four functions: typically realized by a of Qualifying
noun
a. Referring
b. Quantifying
c. Describing
d. Classifying
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REFERRERS
• Referrers are premodifiers in a noun group that
perform the function of referring. They provide
information about the scope of reference of the
Thing.
• In English, referrers are realized by Articles,
Demonstratives, Possessives and Inclusives, the
first three of which are mutually exclusive.
Articles: a(n), the, ZERO (i.e. no referrer)

Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
Possessives: my, his, her, their, our, its, Peter’s, my dad’s, etc.
Inclusives: all, either, both, each, every, neither, no
REFERENCE
Generic
REFERENCE Indefinite
Non-
Exophoric
generic
Definite Cataphoric
Endophoric
Anaphoric
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Generic Reference
Reference to a whole set of things.
Three forms of generic reference:

1. a(n) + singular noun
e.g. A bird is an animal with feathers and wings.
2. Ø + plural/mass noun
e.g. Motorbikes are very popular in the city.
3. the + singular noun
e.g. The golden eagle is in danger of extinction.
Generic Reference
with “ The + Singular Count Noun”
Focus on the group as a unit.
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Generic Reference
with “ Ø + Plural Count Noun”
Focus on the individual stars
Generic Reference
with “A(n) + Singular Count Noun”
A particular star as representative of the whole class.
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Non-generic Reference
Reference to a subset of things.
The subset may be identifiable (Definite reference)
or unidentifiable (Indefinite reference).
Form of non-generic reference
Indefinite Definite
1. a(n) + singular noun the
(Inclusive) + Dem + mass/count noun
2. Ø + plural/mass noun Poss
N.B. Inclusives indicate that the reference is to a complete set or subset

of things, either positively (either, both, each, every, all) or negatively
(neither, no). Note the difference between all birds and all the birds.
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Other pre-modifiers of nouns

Article
Demonstrative
Referrer
Possessive
Inclusive
Pre-modifier Exact
Quantifier
Inexact
Describer
Classifier
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PARTITIVES
Partitives are structures which consist of two nouns
linked by of.
e.g. a piece of cake, a group of students, two glasses of
lemon juice, a lump of sugar, two pounds of flour
Noun1 of Noun2
- Count (singular or plural) - Count (singular or plural)
or mass
- Represents some unit of - Represents the Thing
measurement
Cf. A lot of people, a number of people, a great deal of effort
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DESCRIBERS AND CLASSIFIERS
Describers Classifiers
- Tell something about the - Subclassify the Thing.

quality of the Thing or the
speaker/writer’s attitude - May be realized by
towards the Thing. adjectives, nouns or
- May be realized by participles.
adjectives or participles. - Classifiers follow
- Describers preceed describers.
classifiers. - Cannot be modified by a
- Can be modified by a degree adverb.
degree adverb.
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Postmodifiers of nouns (Qualifiers)

• Qualify the Thing in some way ( to narrow
down the meaning of constituents from all
kinds of constituents to a subset of
constituents, for example).
• Qualifiers are realized by: finite clauses,

non-finite clauses, or prepositional
phrases.
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NOMINALIZATION
Processes and Qualities as Things
- Compare the following pairs of clauses.
I am surprised that he was so rude. (quality)

=> I am surprised at his rudeness.
These materials constantly bump and rub on the river

bed and wear it down. (action)
 The constant bumping and rubbing of these materials on the river
bed wear it down.
- This phenomenon is a kind of grammatical metaphor known as

nominalization and is a very common feature of academic/scientific
style.
- Typically, the content of a whole clause is packed into a noun group.
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Countability: Nouns and Noun Groups: Representing Things

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4/29/2020

Nouns and Noun Groups: Representing Things

• A noun is a word whose experiential function is to

• Things come in the form of either

• Experientially, nouns representing Type A

• Morphologically, Count Nouns have both

Singular Plural ONE form

Nouns to Noun Groups

• A noun can be expanded into a Noun Group.

Articles: a(n), the, ZERO (i.e. no referrer)

Three forms of generic reference:

N.B. Inclusives indicate that the reference is to a complete set or subset

Other pre-modifiers of nouns

Cf. A lot of people, a number of people, a great deal of effort

DESCRIBERS AND CLASSIFIERS

- Tell something about the - Subclassify the Thing.

Postmodifiers of nouns (Qualifiers)

• Qualifiers are realized by: finite clauses,

I am surprised that he was so rude. (quality)

These materials constantly bump and rub on the river

- This phenomenon is a kind of grammatical metaphor known as

- Typically, the content of a whole clause is packed into a noun group.

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