The Noun. (stylistic potential of the noun can be observed in case of transposition of a noun from one word class into another, which creates expressive, emotional, evaluative stylistic connotations.)

Classes of nouns:

1. individuals (a man, a person, a doctor);

2. other living beings – real or imaginary (angel, bird, devil);

3. objects (a book, a lesson);

4. collective nouns (family, company, police);

5. units of measurement (mile, month);

6. material nouns (snow, iron, matter);

7. abstract nouns (time, courage, conversation).

Names of animals with regard to people:

Transposition of a noun from one word-class into another creates expressive, emotive, evaluative and stylistic connotations.

E.g. Tender/affectionate connotation – if nouns naming animals refer to people (teddy, lamb, angel, lamb);

ironical – pig, donkey, monkey (if referred to people);

highly negative (bookworm, swine, snake, ape, devil, sphinx);

more negative (you lazy dog, you filthy swine).

Abstract nouns may be transposed into the class of nouns naming individual with different emotional connotations: from affection to irony and distaste.

E.g. the chubby little electricity(very energetic);

The old oddity;(old strange man);

He is a disgrace to his family (son);

You little horror.

Substantivisation

Transposition from one part of speech into another.

Listen, my sweet;

E.g. adjectives into nouns – Come here, lovely (calling function).

The rich, the poor, the unemployed;

The impossible has happened.

Interjection

A please would be nice

His novel is a must for all lovers of science fiction

The stylistic power of the noun is linked to the grammatical category of number, person, case, gender.

The category of number.

E.g. Now what’s that? Reading books instead of working? – plural, indignation, reproach

How dare he talk like that to ladies? – Plural instead of singular

This is what the student is supposed to know (synecdoche – every student) – Singular instead of plural.

Material and abstract nouns (pl)

The sands of the Sahara desert the frozen snows of the Artic

The category of person.

Only animate nouns have the category of person. As a result of personification a common noun can be transposed into the class of proper nouns. This can be achieved by:

• substituting the noun by he/she;

• the possessive case;

• capitalizing the first letter of the word.

According to the rules of personification, earth, moon, names of vessels – SHE.

Depersonification

The opposite phenomenon is depersonification. It consists in treating a person as a thing. It can be achieved by:

• substituting the noun by it (Who are you calling it?);

• by the noun “thing” (She’s a frail little thing. Poor little thing just dragging herself with that sack of paper).

The category of case

The category of case is a typical feature of proper nouns (possessive). Possessive case with common nouns is a personification.

E.g. the ocean’s roar, the wind’s rustle, my country’s laws=the laws of my country, It’s the young fellow in the backroom’s car.