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NOUNS AND DETERMINERS

* concrete = accessible to the senses, observable, measurable etc.

abstract = nonobservable, nonmeasurable

* Distinction between concrete and abstract is semantically important, while betweenproper and common, and also between count and noncount, is important both

semantically and grammatically (no determiners or number contrast for proper;

count/noncount permit different determiners)

1. PARTITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS- constructions denoting part of a whole. Both noncount and count nouns can

enter these constructions.

- these expressions may relate to quantity (e.g. a piece of) or quality (e.g. a kind

of), and in either case the partition may be singular and plural.

- they are a means of imposing number on noncount nouns

- the partition is generally expressed by a count noun + of phrase

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QUANTITIVE PARTITION:

- of noncount nouns: apiece of cake ( two pieces of cake), a bitof, an item of, etc -

general partitives; a blade of grass , some specks of dust, a slice of bread/cake- specific

partitives

- of plural count nouns: aflockof sheep (two flocks of sheep), a series of

concerts/lectures (two series..)

- of singular count nouns: apiece of a leather belt, two acts of a play, twopieces of a

broken cup..

QUALITY PARTITION:

- expressed mostly with kindand sort

- count nouns: a new kind of computer (several new kinds of computer(s)), one sort of a

silk tie (two sorts..) *headnoun can be in plural too, not possible with noncount

- noncount: a delicious kind of bread (some delicious..), a fashionable sort of wallpaper

(fashionable sorts..)

* other qualitity partitives are type, varietyand blend.

DETERMINERS

- 3 classes: central, predeterminers and postdeterminers.

CENTRAL DETERMINERS

- the, a, zero article (a & zero are indefinite); zero occurs before plural countable nouns

(books) or noncount nouns (which are always singular, music)

- centraldeterminers with the same distribution as the definite article the (ie with

singular count, plural count and noncount nouns):

the demonstratives: this/that, these/those

the possessives: my, your, his/her/its, our, their

the wh- determiners: which, whose, whichever, whatever, whosever as relatives,

indefinite relative or interrogatives

the negative determiner no

* All these determiners have also pronominal roles (ie function as pronouns); sometimes

there is a modification of their form: theirs,ours..., none etc.

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- central determiners with the same distribution as the indefinite article a (ie singular

count nouns):

the universal determiners every and each

the nonassertive dual determiner either

the negative dual determiner neither

- centraldeterminers with the same distribution like thezero article (ie with noncount

and plural count nouns):

the general assertive determiner some

the general nonassertive determiner any

the quantitative determiner enough

* stressed anycan occur with singular count nouns too (She will consider anyoffer-

however small.)

* stressed some /sm / is used with the meaning of strong indefiniteness (a certain,

one unidentified)