3. Singular and plural invariable nouns.

Number is the form of the noun which shows whether one or more than one object is meant. nouns are used either only in the sing. or only in the pl. they are called invariable nouns.

Singular

1.Material nouns: sand, water, silver

2.Abstract nouns: music. Homework

3.proper names: the Thames, London

4.substantivized adjectives denoting abstract notions: the inevitable, the true

5.some nouns ending in s\

- some diseases: diabets, mumps, measles, rabies, rickets, shingl

-some games: rank, billiard, draughts, darts,

-subject names in -ics: aerobics, classics, genetics,linguistics

- some proper names:, Wales, the United Nations, the United States

Some nouns which are invariable

singular in English are used in the

plural {variable or not) in Russian:

advice, applause, chess, cream,

debate, fighting, fruit, evidence,

gossip. money.

Plural Words denoting things consisting of two matching parts: braces, cords, , glasses, jeans overalls, stock ,tongs, trousers, trunks,

• miscellaneous nouns: annals, antics, archives, arms, ashes, customs, earnings, finals, goads, greens, , manners, minutes, movables, outskirts, thanks, valuables

• some plural proper names: the Middle Ages, the Midlands, the Hebrides, the West/East Indies

■ unmarked plural nouns: cattle, police, gentry, clergy

• substantivized adjectives denoting people: the rich, the poor, the old, the young

The following commonly used invariable plural English nouns are singular in Russian: clothes, wages, greens, sweepings, opera-glasses. Other nouns are plural in English thought singular in Russian when used collectively; grapes, carrots, beets.

4. The case of noun. The use of the genitive case.

Case is the form of the noun which shows the relation of the noun to other words in the sentence. English nouns have a two-case system: the unmarked common case and the marked genitive case. The genitive case is formed by means of the suffix —'s or an apostrophe (—') alone. The simplest rule to remember is: add ~'s to any personal noun unless it is in the form of a plural ending -s, in which case, just add an apostrophe (—‘)

In addition to its use with regular plurals, the zero genitive occurs:

with Greek names of more than one syllable: Archimedes' Law, Achilles’ heel

with many other names ending in [z] where, in speech, zero is a variant of the regular iz genitive:. Burn’s\Burns, Dickens’s/ Dickens’ *with fixed expressions of the form for…sake: for goodness’ sake, for old times’ sake. The spelling without the apostrophe is preferable in for goodness sake.

Compound nouns have ~’s added to the final component: my sister-in-law’s property

Depending on the relation between the head word and its modifier in the genitive case, we can distinguish the following kinds of genitive:

Specifying

1) possessive genitive

my son's wife — my son has a wife

2) subjective genitive

the boy’s application - the boy applied

3) objective genitive

The boy’s release- released the boy

4) genitive of origin

The girl’s story — the girl told the story

Classifying

5) descriptive genitive

A women’s college-a college for women

6) genitive of measure

Ten days’ absence- the absence lasted ten days

The genitive case is used:

• with personal names: Mary’s house

• with personal nouns: the little girl’s doll

• with collective nouns: the committee’s decision

• with the names of higher animals: a cat’s tail

• with geographical names: London’s biggest cinema

• with the names of newspapers

• with temporal or distance nouns: a day’s work, an hour’s delay

• set expressions: a stone’s throw away(рукой подать), at arm’s length(на расстоянии), to one’s heart content(от души, в волю), at death’s door( при смерти)

a specific feature of the English genitive case is the so called group genitive when ~’s can be added:

* to a group of two coordinate nouns if such a group refers to a single idea:

Ex; Alex and Andy’s father/ Alex’s and Andy’s father.

The noun in the genitive may be used without a head-word. This is called the independent o absolute genitive. It is used:

• to avoid repetition: Your coat is more fashionable than Ann’s.

• to denote places where business is conducted(the hairdresser’s, the baker’s)

Sometimes ~’s can be combined with of-phrase in a construction called the double genitive: an old friend of my father’s.