Lecture 4 Noun and noun phrasesTeaching aims:(1) To know the definition, construction, classification, functions of NP(2) To the number of nouns and formation of nouns‘ plural forms(3)To master partitivesTeaching content:(1) Definition & Classification of noun(2) Number of Noun(3) Unit Noun4.1 DefinitionAs has been point out, the noun phrase is a phrase with a noun as its head .It is the noun head that determines the way the noun phrase is organized.4.2 Classification of noun1)According to word building, Simple Noun, Compound Noun andDerivative NounA simple noun is a noun that contains only one free morpheme (e.g.:man, chair, land, faith). A compound noun is a noun that is composed of two or more morphemes (mostly free morphemes) (e.g.: armchair, farmland, seaside, and roommate). A derivative noun is a noun that comes from a verb, an adjective or a simple noun with affix (e.g.: arrangement, greatness, patriotism).2)According to word meaning, nouns fall into two major categories:Common Noun (Individual Noun, Collective Noun, Material Noun, and Abstract Noun) and Proper noun.A proper noun is a name used for a particular person, place or thing,and spelt with a capital initial letter (e.g. : Anderson, Brittan, New York Times).A common noun is a name to a call of people ,thing or abstract ideas. Common nouns can be further classified into individual,collective, material, and abstract nouns (e.g.: boy, tiger, family, team, water, air, honesty, glory).3)According to grammar character, Count/ Countable Noun andNon-count/ Uncountable Noun.A count noun ( or countable noun) is noun that has with suchdeterminers as (n), many , few, these, those, several, etc (e.g: a car twos, many cars, several cars) .A noncount noun (or uncountable noun )is a noun that cannot go with the above-mentioned words (eg: bread , furniture, merchandise).4.3 The functions of noun phrasesThe noun phrase can be used as the sentence elements except predicate verb.1) Subject: The children are playing basketball on the play ground.2) Complement: That is an attractive little black chair.They elected him chairman of the board.3) Object: I saw some extremely valuable picture.4) Appositive: Mr. Smith, a professor of the department, will give us a lecture.5) Complement of preposition/ object of preposition: for many years6) Adverbial: He returned last night.The meeting lasted three hours.4.4 Number of Noun1)Individual Noun is countable (regular plural –s/-es and irregularplural).2)Collective Noun: some is uncountable, some is countable3)Material Noun, generally speaking, is uncountable. But some appearin plural form, the meaning just changed.4)Abstract Noun: most are uncountable, a few are countable, some inplural form or singular form, are very different in meaning such as ―experience/ experiences‖. Some used as material noun are countable such as ―relations, youth, worry, distraction, business, kindness‖.5)Proper Noun, generally speaking, is uncountable.4.5 Formation of plural forms of nouns.1. Regular nouns‘ plural forms1.2 其它名词复数的规则变化1）以y结尾的专有名词，或元音字母+y 结尾的名词变复数时，直接加s变复数。
