Inflection of nouns Number Kuiper and Allan Chapter 2.1.2

Regular plural inflection –singular (one)plural (more than one) –snappersnappers –beebees –rosellarosellas –boxboxes

Irregular plural inflection Some nouns mark their plural in other ways. –footfeet –mousemice –louselice –childchildren –oxoxen

Covert marking Other nouns never mark their plurals overtly. sheepsheep deerdeer

Obligatory plurals Still other nouns never occur without the plural inflection, e.g. scissors and trousers.

Exercise Divide the nouns below into the following groups: nouns that can take a(n), nouns that can take the, nouns that have a plural form, and nouns that refer to things that can be counted. alligator, wombat, Pittsburg, video, lawnmower, butter, Fred.

Your answer should look like this: a(n)thepluralcount alligator √√√√ wombat √√√√ Pittsburg xxxx video √√√√ lawnmower √√√√ butter x√xx Fred xxxx

Number as a test for nouns The exercise showed that three different kinds of nouns exist –Common nouns like shoe inflect for number, i.e. they can be either singular or plural. –Mass nouns like butter and sand do not take plurals because they are not countable. –Proper nouns (those written with a capital letter at the beginning and which are the real naming words) usually do not inflect for number. –So number is a positive test for nouns. If a word can take a plural it is a noun but not all nouns inflect for number.

Exercise Find the nouns in the following poem: The sick rose Oh rose, thou art sick! The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm, Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy, And his dark, secret love Does thy life destroy. William Blake