Collocational Properties of Singular and Plural Nouns in English : A Problem for Learners and Lexicographers

Abstract

As has been noted by Hoey(2002), the singular and plural forms of certain English nouns -  such as 'consequence' - show sharply different patterns of lexical collocation. The present paper offers details of a small-scale corpus-based investigation into four English nouns ('affair', 'balance', 'consequence' and'damage') and their singular and plural forms. Differences in collocation and semantics are noted between the two forms of each noun. A brief summary of the dictionary treatment of all four nouns is offered. Finally, the paper asks how learners of English as a second or foreign language can gain sufficient awareness of the collocational and semantic differences between singular and plural forms of the same noun when condensed dictionary entries are only able to offer parital information.Despite the paucity of hard empirical evidence showing that independent and teacher-directed learning using corpus data or computer concordances can lead to enhanced lexical competence, it is argued that concordance-based study offers the most plausible avenue towards native-like awareness of individual word-forms and of their semantic and collocational characteristics.