Collins Cobuild English Grammar (50 page)

use of proper nouns

2.173
  
Proper nouns
can also be used as noun modifiers. For example, if you want to show that something is connected with a place, organization, or institution, you put the name of the place, organization, or institution in front of all other noun modifiers. You also put them in front of classifying adjectives.

…
Brighton
Technical College.
…the
Cambridge House
Literacy Scheme.

Proper nouns are explained in paragraphs
1.52
to
1.58
.

BE CREATIVE

2.174
  The use of noun modifiers in English is very common indeed. In fact, when the context makes it clear what you mean, you can use almost any noun to modify any other noun. You can use noun modifiers to talk about a wide range of relationships between the two nouns.

For example, you can say what something is made of, as in
cotton socks
. You can also say what is made in a particular place, as in
a glass factory
. You can say what someone does, as in
a football player
, or you can say where something is, as in
my bedroom curtains
.

You can say when something happens, as in
the morning mist
and
her wartime activities
. You can also describe the nature or size of something, as in
a surprise attack
and
a pocket chess-set
.

Talking about quantities and amounts

2.175
  This section deals with ways of talking about quantities and amounts of things. You often refer to quantities by using a number, but sometimes in everyday situations you can do this by using a word or a phrase such as
several
or
a lot
and link it with
of
to the following noun. Quantity expressions like these are explained in paragraphs
2.176
to
2.193
. When phrases such as
a bottle
are used like this, they are called
partitives
. Partitives are explained in paragraphs
2.194
to
2.207
.

When you want to be very precise about the quantity or amount of something, you can use
numbers
(see paragraphs
2.208
to
2.239
) or
fractions
(see paragraphs
2.240
to
2.249
).

Numbers, fractions, and quantity expressions are also used in expressions of measurement to indicate the size, weight, length, and so on, of something. Ways of talking about
measurements
are explained in paragraphs
2.250
to
2.257
. Approximate measurements are explained in paragraphs
2.264
to
2.271
. Numbers are also used to say how old someone or something is. This is explained in paragraphs
2.258
to
2.263
.

Talking about amounts of things:
a lot of ideas
,
plenty of shops

2.176
  When you want to talk about a quantity of things or an amount of something, you can use the pronoun form of some indefinite determiners (such as
all
or
both
) followed by
of
and a noun phrase.

I am sure
both of
you agree with me.
Most of
the population have fled.
All of
her children live abroad.

2.177
  Here is the list of indefinite determiners that can be used in this way.
Of
is given after each as a reminder.

all of

another of

any of

both of

each of

either of

enough of

(a) few of

fewer of

less of

(a) little of

lots of

many of

more of

most of

much of

neither of

none of

one of

several of

some of

You can also use a phrase such as
a lot of
or
a number of
to talk about quantity in the same way.

…a house with
lots of
windows.
I make
a lot of
mistakes.
In Tunis there are
a number of
art galleries.
I never found
the rest of
my relatives.

2.178
  Here is a list of phrases that can be used to talk about quantity.

an amount of

a bit of

a little bit of

a couple of

a good deal of

a great deal of

a lot of

a good many of

a great many of

a number of

plenty of

a quantity of

~

a majority of

the majority of

a minority of

~

part of

the remainder of

the rest of

the whole of

~

gobs of
(American)

heaps of

loads of

masses of

tons of

Note that the words in the last group in this list are used in informal speech only.

only with definite determiners

2.179
  Some of these quantity expressions are linked by
of
only to noun phrases that begin with a definite determiner such as
the
,
these
, or
my
. A pronoun such as
us
,
them
, or
these
can also be used after
of
.

Nearly
all of the increase
has been caused by inflation.
Part of the farm
lay close to the river bank.
Only
a few of them
were armed.

Here is a list of quantity expressions with
of
that are usually or always followed by noun phrases beginning with definite determiners:

all of

another of

any of

both of

certain of

each of

either of

enough of

few of

fewer of

less of

little of

many of

more of

most of

much of

neither of

none of

one of

part of

several of

some of

various of

~

a few of

a little of

a good many of

a great many of

~

the remainder of

the rest of

the whole of

with place names

2.180
  Some of these quantity expressions can also be used with place names.

Much of America
will be shocked by what happened.
…involving
most of Africa
and
a lot of South America
.

Here is a list of quantity expressions used with place names:

all of

less of

more of

most of

much of

none of

part of

some of

~

a bit of

a little bit of

a good deal of

a great deal of

a lot of

~

the rest of

the whole of

verb agreement

2.181
  When you use a quantity expression as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular or plural depending on whether the quantity expression refers to one thing or to more than one thing.

Some of the information
has
already been analysed.
Some of my best friends
are
policemen.

with plural nouns

2.182
  Many quantity expressions can only be used in front of plural noun phrases.

I am sure
both of
you agree with me.
Start by looking through their papers for
either of
the two documents mentioned below.
Few of
these organizations survive for long.
Several of
his best books are about space flight.
I would like to ask you
a couple of
questions.
The report contained large
numbers of
inaccuracies.