brother (fellow member) – brethren
fish – fish (e.g. I caught five fish yesterday.)
fish – fishes ('different species', e. g. ocean fishes).
A collective noun is a word that designates a group of objects or beings regarded as a whole, such as «flock», «team», or «corporation». Although many languages treat collective nouns as singular, in others they may be interpreted as plural. In British English, phrases such as the committee are meeting are common (the so-called agreement in sensu «in meaning», that is, with the meaning of a noun, rather than with its form). The use of this type of construction varies with dialect and level of formality.
All languages are able to specify the quantity of referents. They may do so by lexical means with words such as English a few, some, one, two, five hundred. However, not every language has a grammatical category of number. Grammatical number is expressed by morphological and/or syntactic means. That is, it is indicated by certain grammatical elements, such as through affixes or number words. Grammatical number may be thought of as the indication of semantic number through grammar.
Languages that express quantity only by lexical means lack a grammatical category of number. For instance, in Khmer, neither nouns nor verbs carry any grammatical information concerning number: such information can only be conveyed by lexical items such as khlah 'some', pii-bey 'a few', and so on.
Most languages of the world have formal means to express differences of number. The most widespread distinction, as found in English and many other languages, involves a simple two-way number contrast between singular and plural (car / cars; child / children, etc.). Other more elaborate systems of number are described below.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of my work, I would like to say some words according the done investigation.
The main part of my work consists of following items:
· «What is Noun»?, as it is seen from the title in this part I gave the definition to the term noun.
· «Semantical Characteristics of Nouns» In this chapter I characterized English nouns from due their semantical meaning.
· «Category of Case» in this paragraph I described the category of case of English nouns
· «Category of Number». In this part I gave the definition to the category of number of English nouns, described different types of numbers of nouns in English
Standing on such ground I will add that investigation in the questions dealt with English adjectives is not finished yet, so we will continue it while writing our qualification work.
I hope that my course paper will arise the sincere interest of students and teachers to the problem of adjectives in contemporary English.
Bibliography
1. B. Ilyish, The Structure of Modern English.
2. V.N. Zhigadlo, I.P. Ivanova, L.L. Iofik.» Modern English language» (Theoretical course grammar) Moscow, 1956 y.
3. Gordon E.M. The Use of adjectives in modern English.
4. М.М. Галииская. «Иностранные языки в высшей школе», вып. 3, М., 1964.
5. Г.Н. Воронцова. Очерки по грамматике английского языка. М., 1960
6. O. Jespersen. Essentials of English Grammar. N.Y., 1938
7. Иванова И.П., Бурлакова В.В., Почепцов Г.Г. Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка. – М., 1981. – 285 c.
8. Ch. Barber. Linguistic change in Present-Day English. Edinburgh, 1964
9. The Structure of American English. New York, 1958.
10. World Book Encyclopedia Vol.1 NY. 1993 pp.298–299
11. Internet http://madrasati2010.bravehost.com/adj.htm
12. Internet http://www.vestnik.vsu.ru
13. Internet:http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/adjectives/theory.htm
14. Inbternet:http://www.englishlanguage.ru/main/definitearticle.htm
[1] В.Л. Каушанская и др. Грамматика английского языка (на английском языке). 1973 стр.22
[2]The word proper is from Lat. proprius 'one's own'. Hence a proper name means one's own individual name, as distinct from a common name, that can be given to a class of individuals. The name common is from Lat. communes and means that winch is shared by several things or individuals possessing some common characteristic
[3]SeeВ. В. Виноградов, op. cit., p. 167.
[4]See M. Ganshina and N. Vasilevskaya. English Grammar. M., 1953, p. 31—32.
[5]B.S. Khaimovich, B.I. Rogovskaya. A Course in English Grammar. 1966 p. 14
[6]See Г. Н. Воронцова. Очерки по грамматике английского языка. М., 1960, р. 180.
[7]B.S. Khaimovich, B.I. Rogovskaya. A Course in English Grammar. 1966 p. 49
[8]"Double-genitive", in the terminology of Kruisinga.
[9]See А. И. Смирницкий, op. cit, p. 9.
[10]This among other reasons, accounts for the divergence of views concerning the number of cases in English.
[11] Б. Л. Ильиш, op. cit., p. 99—100
[12] What we call a semi-notional word
[13] Б. А. Ильиш, op. cit., p. 100.
[14] Г. Н. Воронцова. Об именном форманте -'s в современном английском языке. («Иностранные языки в школе», 1948, № 3, 4); Г. Н. Воронцова. Очерки по грамматике английского языка. М., 1960, pp. 181 — 183.
[15]We find a similar interpretation of -'s in Л. С. Бархударов, Д. Д. Штелинг, op. cit., p. 42.
[16] А. И. Смирницкий, op. cit., § 60
[17] А. И. Смирницкий, op. cit., § 60.
[18]G.O. Curme. Syntax. Bost., N.Y., Lnd., Heat., 1931, p. 542;
O. Jespersen. Essentials of English Grammar. N.Y., 1938, p. 201
[19]B.S. Khaimovich, B.I. Rogovskaya. A Course in English Grammar. 1966 p. 48
[20]B.S. Khaimovich, B.I. Rogovskaya. A Course in English Grammar. 1966 p. 49
[21] Л.С. Бархударов, Д.А. Штелинг. Грамматика английского языка. М., 1960, р. 35
[22] Л. С. Бархударов, Д. А. Штелинг, ор. cit., р. 36.
[23]О. Jespersen. Essentials of English Grammar. Lnd., 1943, p. 208.
[24] B. Н. Жигадло, И. П. Иванова, Л. Л. Иофик, ор. cit., р. 30.