Suggested Answers for Check Questions

The starting point is that proper nouns and plural count nouns do not contain determiners. However, they have the same distribution as other nominal phrases that do contain determiners. Determiners are marked for number (in languages other than English for gender and even case) and they encode the definite–indefinite distinction (e.g. a man versus the man) which is not marked on the noun. Hence it is assumed that determiners are heads taking NP complements. As regards proper nouns, they can in fact appear with determiners even in English and it is normal for a proper noun to appear with a determiner in German (ich bin der Hans). Those proper nouns that do not tolerate a determiner appear with a phonologically empty (unpronounced) D head. This is supported by the interpretation of the proper noun as definite – determiners are the locus of the definiteness feature and not nouns. Plural count nouns represent the opposite in that when they appear without a determiner they are interpreted as indefinite. Again, there is a phonologically empty D head responsible for this interpretation. The empty definite determiner takes only NP complements headed by proper nouns while the empty indefinite determiner takes only NP complements headed by plural nouns.