Analyzing Syntax & Semantics Textbook: A Self-Instructional Approach for Teachers and Clinicians

CHAPTER 1 Nouns and Noun Phrases

CHAPTER 1 Nouns and Noun Phrases The child learns the syntax of language by internalizing the rules for generating sentences rather than by acquiring individual words and building sentences out of this vocabulary. An effective language development program, one that follows the normal pattern of development, will focus on sentences (the important units of the syntax of our language) and on the combining of sentences in discourse. The noun phrase (NP) is a basic sentence constituent. It consists of a head word, the noun (N), and a determiner (Det) that precedes and signals the noun. The noun carries the primary meaning, and the determiner adds some specific dimension of meaning. Although many nouns indicate persons, places, or things, not all nouns can be defined in this way. Some nouns indicate abstract concepts. We shall say, then, that nouns are words like Tony, Chicago, shirt, and truth. Unit 1: Noun Phrases Objectives • Specify the features of selected nouns presented in sentences • List determiners in each determiner category • Categorize determiners as definite or nondefinite • Identify noun phrases in given sentences • Specify the types of determiners used in given noun phrases (including the null determiners) • Write the symbols used for determiner, noun phrase, feature, and consists of • Write the phrase structure rules for given noun phrases • Write English noun phrases for given phrase structure rules Features of Nouns In communication, the individual decides on the message to be conveyed and then selects the type of sentence to use. The type of sentence governs in part the lexical items or range of items that may be used. 6 NOUNS AND NOUN PHRASES The lexical items, the words of a language known to a user of that language, make up one's lexicon. A large part of the lexicon consists of nouns. Each lexical item, whether a noun, verb, or adverb, has features that impose constraints upon its use. For example, these features govern the types of determiners and modifiers used with nouns and govern the other words that can co·occur or be used appropriately with nouns in sentences. The following is a listing of some of the features that nouns carry. human nonhuman [±human] animate inanimate [±animate] concrete abstract [±concrete] count noncount [±count] common proper [±common] singular plural [± singular] The word boxes has the features [+countl, [-animate], [+concrete], and [-singular]. The plus symbol indicates the presence of a feature, and the minus symbol, the absence. As boxes is [-animate], it is termed inanimate. As a function of being inanimate, there are restrictions upon the verbs that can be used with boxes. Lay may be used, but not walk or sleep because they are verbs requiring animate subjects. Animateness, humanness, and gender are inherent features of some nouns. The words boy, woman, and butcher are [+ human] nouns. Since they carry the feature of humanness, these words are also animate, which need not be given as a separate feature in the lexical entry when a noun is [+ human]. Certain verbs, such as think or remember, can co-occur with human nouns but not with those that are only animate. As was mentioned in the case of the word boxes, there are restrictions on the words that can be used with inanimate or nonhuman nouns. However, when using language figuratively or in children's stories (e.g., The tugboat smiled as she safely guided the ocean liner through the channel), human characteristics may be assigned to an inanimate noun as denoted by the use of smiled and she. Human nouns also carry the feature of gender, being either masculine or feminine. The feature [+animate] of nouns such as dog, ladybug, and shark indicates living but nonhuman. Some confusion can result when referring to animate nouns as living things since not all living things are animate. Plants and trees are living things, but they are inanimate [-animate]. Verbs such as grow and die can co-occur with words that refer to inanimate living things, but not with inanimate nonliving things, such as tables or boxes. Thus, one must take into account the additional features of living and nonliving for inanimate nouns. Another feature of nouns is [±count]. Count nouns are those that name things that can be counted. Words such as girl, bug, and box are [+count]. Noncount nouns NOUN PHRASES 7 designate masses that cannot be counted. For example, sand, sugar, and milk are [-count]. All human and animate nouns are count nouns. Some...