Collins Cobuild English Grammar (7 page)

For more information about the use of
of
in the noun phrase see paragraphs
2.277
to
2.283
.

linking noun phrases and linking words within them

1.11
    If you want to refer separately to more than one person or thing, or you want to describe them in more than one way, you link noun phrases using the
conjunctions
and
,
or
, or
but
. Sometimes you use a comma instead of
and
, or just put one word next to another.

…
a table and chair
.
…his obligations with regard to
Amanda, Robert and Matthew
.
…some
fruit or cheese
afterwards.
…
her long black skirt
.

See paragraphs
8.171
to
8.201
for more information about the use of conjunctions to link noun phrases and words within noun phrases.

numbers and quantity expressions

1.12
    If you want to say how many things you are talking about, or how much of something there is, you use
numbers
and
quantity expressions
.

Last year I worked
seven
days a week
fourteen
hours a day.
She drinks
lots of
coffee.

Numbers
are dealt with in paragraphs
2.208
to
2.239
, and
quantity expressions
are dealt with in
2.175
to
2.193
.

Identifying people and things: nouns

1.13
    A noun is used to identify a person or thing. In this chapter six main types of noun are described. They are classified according to whether they have a plural form, whether they need a determiner in front of them, and whether they occur with a singular verb or a plural verb when they are the subject of the verb.

The six types are:

Many nouns have a number of different meanings, and so can be, for example, a countable noun for one meaning, an uncountable noun for another, and a singular noun for another.

There are a few other groups of nouns with special features. These are dealt with in paragraphs
1.59
to
1.92
.

capital letters

1.14
    Most nouns do not begin with a capital letter, unless they are used to start a sentence. However, the following types of noun are always spelled with a capital letter:

proper nouns
or names

…my sister
Elizabeth
.
I love reading
Shakespeare
.
I’ll be in the office on
Monday
.
I think he’s gone to
London
.

For more information on proper nouns, see paragraphs
1.52
to
1.58
. Proper nouns that are time expressions are dealt with in
Chapter 4
, and those that are place names in
Chapter 6
.

nouns that identify people of a particular nationality, or languages

Can you think of some typical problems experienced by
Germans
learning
English
?

nouns that are the name of a particular product

He drives a
Porsche
.
Put a bit of
Sellotape
across it.

Things that can be counted: countable nouns

1.15
    Many nouns have two forms, the
singular
form, which is used to refer to one person or thing, and the
plural
form, which is used to refer to more than one person or thing.

These nouns refer to people or things that can be counted. You can put numbers in front of them.

…
book
…
books
.
…
day
…
days
.
…
three brothers
.
…
ten minutes
.

These nouns make up the largest group of nouns in English. They are called
countable nouns
.

noun–verb agreement

1.16
    When you use the singular form of a countable noun as the subject of a verb, you use a singular verb. When you use the plural form of a countable noun as the subject, you use a plural verb.

A
dog likes
to eat far more meat than a human being.
Bigger
dogs cost
more.

use of determiners

1.17
    Countable nouns have a determiner in front of them when they are used in the singular.

He got into
the car
and started
the motor
.
They left
the house
to go for
a walk
after lunch.

When you use the plural form of a countable noun to talk about something in general, you do not use a determiner.

They all live in big
houses
.
Most classrooms have
computers
.

However, if you are specifying a particular instance of something, you need to use a determiner.

The houses
in our street are all identical.
Our computers
can give you all the relevant details.

list of countable nouns

1.18
    Here is a list of some common countable nouns:

accident

account

actor

address

adult

animal

answer

apartment

article

artist

baby

bag

ball

bank

battle

beach

bed

bell

bill

bird

boat

book

bottle

box

boy

bridge

brother

bus

bush

camp

captain

car

card

case

castle

cat

chair

chapter

chest

child

cigarette

city

class

club

coat

college

computer

corner