LINGUIST List 13.1369

Thu May 16 2002

Qs: Eng Group Possessives, Eng Nouns/Countability

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>



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  • Natasha Koroleva, group possessive in English
  • Kazumi S, countability of English nouns

    Message 1: group possessive in English

     Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 16:05:20 +0000
    From: Natasha Koroleva <mary-nathaliemtu-net.ru>
    Subject: group possessive in English


    Hello, I'm a second year student of Moscow State University, doing linguistics.I'm currently writing a research work which analises the phenomenon of group possessive in English (like " the King of Spain's daughter") and I would like to find out if there are any books in this area which look closely at the problem. I'm also inerested in compound words like "must-haves" or "where-abouts" which take the plural form, and I wonder if there is a special term for them in linguistics. I would greatly appreciate if you can share some information on these topics with me.

    Thank you.

    Message 2: countability of English nouns

     Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 02:19:16 +0000
    From: Kazumi S <slott003csusm.edu>
    Subject: countability of English nouns


    I am trying to make a software system that will teach the countability of English nouns for Japanese students including myself.

    Some nouns in English are countable, others are uncountable, and still others may be either countable or uncountable. I just have not seen any clear explanations why a given noun is countable or not. I have read so many ESL books, and they tend to use "because information is a category or abstract, it is not countable. But ideas are countable because they are specific. And information is more general." How would I know information is general and ideas are specific? Or how would I know information is a category name and idea is not? Also vegitables are very irregular to me. We say potatoes, carrots, and onions, but not lettuces, cabbages, or corns.

    Aren't there any features or characteristic of English nouns that would distinguish them as countable, uncountable, or either (depending on what they refer to)?

    Please let me know if you have any ideas about that.

    Thank you.

    Subject-Language: English; Code: ENG

    Language-Family: English; Code: IEFBBBAAA