Uppsala University
Department of English
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
Grammar Assignment 2: Key to Seminar Tasks
Task 1
a.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Where is the money I gave you? I cannot find it anywhere. Money is
uncountable and thus takes a singular verb (is) and is referred back to by a
singular pronoun (it).
This news /was/is/ unexpected. News is uncountable and thus takes a
singular verb (was/is) and a singular pronoun as determiner (this).
I /got/received/ that information far too late. Information is uncountable
and thus takes a singular pronoun as determiner (that).
The police do not seem to know what to do. Police is an invariable plural
and thus takes a plural verb (do).
I need a pair of scissors to open this /parcel (BrE)/package (AmE)/.
Scissors is an invariable plural; a pair of, two pairs of, etc. can be used to
quantify the noun.
/This behavio(u)r exists/These types of behavio(u)r exist/ only
/among/in/ animals. Behaviour (BrE; AmE behavior) is uncountable and
thus takes a singular verb (exists) and a singular pronoun as determiner
(this). Phrases such as types of can be used to convey plural meaning, if
necessary; the plural noun types then becomes the head of the noun
phrase, so a plural verb (exist) and a plural pronoun as determiner (these)
are used.
It was hard work to go through all these documents. Work is uncountable
except in the sense ‘artistic or scientific output’ (e.g. the works of William
Shakespeare); as an uncountable noun, it cannot take the indefinite article.
You gave me (/some/a piece of/) good advice. Advice is uncountable and
thus cannot take the indefinite article. Words and phrases such as some
and a piece of, two pieces of, etc. can be used to convey plural meaning, but
there is frequently no such quantifier present. (Another acceptable way of
using the piece of construction in [8] would be You gave me a good piece of
advice.)
Would you like to /change/trade/ places with me? Many expressions
involving change from one item to another are logical plurals in English;
since two places are involved, the plural form of the noun is used.
1
Uppsala University
Department of English
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
b.
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
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2
The earthquake caused considerable damage. Damage is uncountable
unless it corresponds to Swedish skadestånd; when it is uncountable, it
cannot appear in the plural (or take the indefinite article).
I will be needing all my new knowledge. Knowledge is uncountable and
thus cannot appear in the plural (however, unlike most uncountable
nouns, knowledge can take the indefinite article in many cases, although
this is not possible in [11]).
Journalists are only interested in creating an interesting story about /a
news item/a piece of news/. News is uncountable and thus cannot take the
indefinite article. To specify the singular number, a news item or a piece of
news can be used.
Alcohol has been a part of Western culture for centuries. In most nouns
that end in consonant + y, the y is replaced with ie before a plural -s.1
One of the bases of democracy is education. Basis /"beIsIs/ is a singular
form; the plural form is bases /"beIsi;z/.
Comics appeal to people of all ages. Comics is a plural form and thus
takes a plural verb.
Mathematics is his favourite subject at school.2 When nouns in -ics refer
to the names of sciences and scholarly subjects, they are invariable
singulars and require singular verbs.
This is a very popular TV crime series. The noun series has a zero plural
form; series is thus both a singular and a plural form.
When we decide which applicant will get the job, previous experience is
an important criterion. Criteria is the plural form; the singular form is
criterion.
It would also be correct to omit the indefinite article before part.
Favourite is the BrE spelling; the AmE spelling is favorite.
2
Uppsala University
Department of English
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
Task 2
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
It is a good thing that inflation is low this year. Inflation is an
uncountable noun used in a generic sense and thus takes no article.
He has shown great patience and is always in a good mood. Patience is an
uncountable noun and thus does not take the indefinite article; in a good
mood is one of the expressions with singular countable nouns where the
indefinite article is required in English.
My wife works in an office. She has got a job as a secretary. She is the
secretary of the /managing director/chief executive officer/ of a large
company. In an office and get a job are two expressions with singular
countable nouns where the indefinite article is required in English. The
indefinite article is also used after as with singular countable nouns in
expressions that classify someone with regard to occupation, politics,
religion, etc., such as to get a job as a secretary. In … is the secretary of …, the
definite article is used because the noun secretary is identified by the
postmodifying prepositional phrase of the /managing director/chief executive
officer/ of a large company.3
She is an expert on Victorian literature.4 In an expert, the indefinite article
is used because an expert on Victorian literature is a noun phrase which is
headed by a singular countable noun, functions as a (subject) predicative,
and classifies someone with regard to occupation, politics, religion, etc. In
Victorian literature, no article is used because literature is an uncountable
noun used in a generic sense.
They (will) have to pay damages for the damage they /did/have
done/caused/have caused/ to the car. When damages corresponds to
Swedish skadestånd, it is always plural in English; when damage
corresponds to Swedish skada/skador, it is uncountable and thus always
singular.
This is /such an important/so important a/ problem that we have to solve
it immediately. The indefinite article follows such in English; if so is used,
the indefinite article follows both so and the adjective (important in [6]).
The construction with so is more formal and less frequent than the
construction with such.
However, if the managing director or chief executive officer has more than one secretary, the last
sentence would be She is a secretary for the /managing director/chief executive officer/ of a large company;
here the indefinite article is used, because there are also other secretaries – the postmodifier for
the … large company is not enough to identify the person (see UGE 4.6.2).
4 Note that Victorian should have an upper-case V and that literature only has two t’s in English (unlike
Swedish litteratur). If Victorian literature is regarded as a field of scholarship in itself rather than as a
topic within the field of literature, in Victorian literature is also a possible translation.
3
3
Uppsala University
Department of English
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
Task 3
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Konsten är lång; livet är kort. In (1), art and life are uncountable nouns
used in a generic sense and thus take no article, whereas the definite form
of the nouns would normally be used in Swedish.
Den svenska historien är full av fältslag. In (2), history is an uncountable
noun used in a generic sense (despite being premodified by Swedish) and
thus takes no article. In Swedish, the definite form den svenska historien (or
the genitive contruction Sveriges historia) would probably be used.
Försvarskostnaderna har gått ned på senare år. In (3), costs is a plural
noun used in a generic sense (despite being premodifed by defence)5 and
thus takes no article. In Swedish, the definite plural form
försvarskostnaderna is used.
Hon studerar för att bli läkare. In (4), doctor is a singular countable noun
used in a (subject) predicative that denotes an occupation, religion, etc. In
such contexts, the indefinite article is used in English, whereas the
corresponding Swedish construction has no article.
Om jag inte hade huvudvärk skulle jag kunna översätta den här texten
utan ordbok. Have a headache and without a dictionary are two useful
phrases where the indefinite article is used before a singular countable
noun in English whereas the corresponding Swedish construction has no
article (see also p. 123 and Appendix 3 in UGE).6
Varför tar namn som Rhen och Donau bestämd artikel på engelska?
Names of rivers and of many grammar terms take the definite article in
English. The corresponding Swedish expressions are often in the indefinite
form, as in (6), although some rivers take the definite form (e.g. Nilen),
especially when flod or å is part of the name (e.g. Amazonfloden or Fyrisån).
Varför beställer du alltid samma sak på det här kaféet? Same is one of the
adjectives that take the definite article in English, while the Swedish
equivalent samma does not do so.
John lovade sina föräldrar att han skulle vara hemma före
solnedgången. Before sunset is one of the expressions of time with before
that take no article in English, while the noun solnedgången is in the
definite form in the corresponding Swedish expression.
Defence is the BrE spelling; the AmE spelling is defense.
Note that, as (4) and (5) illustrate, English is actually more consistent than Swedish here. The English
indefinite article tends to be used before a singular countable noun such as doctor in (4) and headache
and dictionary in (5) when the thing, person, etc. that the noun refers to is mentioned for the first time.
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4
Uppsala University
Department of English
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
Task 4
a.
b.
See UGE (section 4.5).
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
my brother’s
my sisters’
her children’s (note: irregular noun)
the students’
the student’s
my mother-in-law’s
the baby’s (note that final y is not changed to ie before the genitive
singular ending -’s; the forms are baby, baby’s, babies, and babies’)
the women’s (note: irregular noun)
Task 5
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
You can’t do it without /permission/a permit/. Permission is uncountable
and does not take the indefinite article, while permit is countable and takes
the indefinite article in the singular.
Western culture is spreading. In (2), culture is an uncountable noun used
in a generic sense and thus takes no article.
You got an average score on the test you took. The form of the indefinite
article is an /&n, @n/ before vowel sounds (such as the /&/ in average
/"&v(@)rIdZ/) and a /eI, @/ before consonant sounds.
In /the society of today/today’s society/ there is debate about whether
euthanasia should be allowed. The definite article is required in the
phrase the society of today because society is used in a specific sense (as it is
identified by the postmodifier of today). However, today’s society is one of
the expressions of time where it is possible to use the genitive instead of
the of construction in English, and today’s society is far more frequent than
the society of today.
Pop culture has a big influence on young people today. In (5), culture is
an uncountable noun used in a generic sense and thus takes no article.
Have an influence on is one of the phrases with singular countable nouns
where the indefinite article is used in English.
The UN is in financial difficulty. The /United Nations/UN/ is a logical
singular even though it looks like a plural noun phrase; a singular verb is
thus required.
5
Uppsala University
Department of English
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
A1/HS1 Grammar
Spring Term 2011
If drugs were legalized, organized crime would no longer plague
society. In (7), society and crime are uncountable nouns, and drugs is a
plural noun.7 Since all three nouns are used in a generic sense in (7), none
of them takes the definite article.
This was an important reform for middle-class women. In (8), women is a
plural noun used in a generic sense; thus it takes no article.
The media have the capacity to reach many people around the world.
Capacity takes the definite article because it is identified by the
postmodifier to reach many people around the world. Note that the definite
article is necessary before media when it refers to organizations that
provide news and information for the public (television, newspapers, etc.)
taken together. This is an excellent example of information one would get
from looking up media in an English–English dictionary such as the
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.
The news on TV was really depressing. News is an uncountable noun;
thus it takes a singular verb (was).
The situation of the unemployed has gone from bad to worse. When an
adjective functions as the head of a noun phrase, as unemployed does in the
noun phrase the unemployed, it cannot take the -’s genitive even if the
adjective refers to people. Instead, the of construction must be used.
Alcohol and tobacco are dangerous for young people. A co-ordinated
subject like alcohol and tobacco usually counts as plural (it would
correspond to the pronoun they), so a plural verb form is required.
(However, when two co-ordinated nouns are seen as the same unit, a
singular verb form is used, because the combination is then seen as a
logical singular: Law and order is the key issue in this election).
Note that, like many uncountable nouns, both society and crime can be countable nouns in other
senses. It is thus necessary to know whether a noun is countable or uncountable in the specific sense
in which it is used in a given sentence. The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides such
information for each sense of a noun if the noun in question can be both countable and uncountable.
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