Formal characteristics of nouns

1. N O U N Formal Characteristics

2. Nouns are identified by definite criteria, the most important of which are the following: A noun is a word preceded by function word called a noun determiner. If it is a proper noun, it is marked by a capital letter. Such expression as the, a, an, my, your, our, few and some are always followed by nouns. The Angkor Vat is a temple-mountain in Cambodia. A proud king undertook his project. Few monuments can equal the Angkor Vat. Much labor and expense were involved.

3. A noun has two inflections, the plural form-s or - es and possessive or genitive -’s. Manila I a city of churches and bridges. His friends are painters and musicians. Let’s shop at Farmer’s Market and Rustan’s . A noun I a word used to name a person, place or thing. Proper noun: Dante, Bach, Rome, French, Los Angeles Times, Liszt. Common Noun: nation, clock, teapot, statue, epic, ballet Collective Noun: crowd, regiment, herd, congregation Abstract Noun: dignity, faith, hope, communism Mass Noun: rice, salt, tea, water, iron, steel

4. 4. A noun fills certain characteristics position in relation to other parts of speech in phrases and utterances. a) It usually occurs before the verb in the N + V Pattern Journalists write. Goya painted and etched. The band I playing. b) It follow such words as at, on, in, to, by, from in the Prep. + N Pattern “Pieta” is by Michelangelo. This statue is at St. Peter’s in Rome. “Environment” is in the cathedral at Florence. Both statues are about 7 feet each. c) It comes after the verb in an S + V + C pattern or in an S + V + N pattern. Mochtar Lubes is an Indonesian writer. He authored Twilight in Djakarta. His other novel is Road Without End.

5. 5. A noun may be identified by various derivational suffixes added either to stems or part of speech as verbs, adjectives or other noun. Ex: (- ee ) draftee, employee, examinee, payee (- er ) painter, writer, engineer, photographer (- ist ) violinist, pianist, artist, novelist (- ness ) coldness, friendliness, kindness

6. 6. A noun is a word used in various way in the sentence; its position determines its function as follows: a. Before the Verb: as Subject The Taj Mahal is in India. The Stonehenge rises on Salisbury Plain. b. After the Verb: as Direct Object Albert Camus wrote The Stranger . Wagner composed Tannhauser . c. After the Verb: a Indirect Object Aristotle gave scholars the classical definition of tragedy. Alfred Nobel bequeathed the world a priceless legacy. d. After a Linking Verb: as a Subjective Complement The Bible is great art. A ballad is a narrative poem intended to be sung.

7. e. After the Verb: as Object Complement Critics call Picasso: “the artist of the century.” The English named Spencer “ a poet’s poet.” f. Side by side with another Noun as Appositive. Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect widely used cantilevers. “Silent Night,” a Christmas carol is attributed to Franz Gruber. g. Beginning or end of the sentence: as Nominative of Address Class, please pay attention. Turn on the electric fan, Albert

8. Noun and Noun Clusters - noun cluster is a group of words in which the principal word is a noun. It consists of two parts – the noun headword itself and the word or words accompanying it. These parts of the cluster, called modifiers may be determiners, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, other noun or word groups.

9. Note of the following illustrations: Nouns with determiners as modifiers the ballad a sonnet our anthem Nouns with Adjectives as modifiers pointed arches fluted columns solid buttress Nouns with Noun Modifiers Italian opera Byzantine architecture tapestry bag Noun Clusters the marble domes , and minarets of the Taj Mahal in Agra Emperor Shah Jehan’s love memorial for his consort Mumtaz Mahal . the still water of a clear lake overlooking the Jamuna river Domes and minarets , memorial and lake are the noun headwords. The words clustering around them are the modifiers, which may come either before or after the noun headword.

10. Tall Big Small Maxi Extra- large Dark Grey Gold Red brown Noun Clusters: Modifiers Before the Headword

11. A clause modifying a noun headword is usually introduced by the subordinators that, which, who, whose and whom. Number: Singular and Plural and Possessive Case of Nouns. - number is the distinction of word form to denote reference to one, or more than one. It is revealed sometimes by form, some times by meaning. A word which denotes one is singular; a word which denotes more than one is plural.

12. Possessive Case of Nouns - All English nouns have the possessive or genitive case. There are two possessives, singular and plural, but only in a few nouns is there any differences in sound among them.

13. You will note that the spelling of the possessive of regular nouns is as follows: ‘s is added to the singular for the singular possessive, and the apostrophe alone (‘) is added to the plural. The plural possessive of noun whose plural does not have the regular –s ending ‘s (with its sound determined by the preceding sound, as in the case of ordinary plurals) to the plural form of the noun. Oxen Brethren Women Men Deer horse Oxen’s Brethren’s Women’s Men’s Deer’s Horse’s