63. “For, during and while” – grammatical difference.

64. Does a noun always co-occur with an article?

No, a noun can sometimes be used without an article

65. What other noun modifiers are frequent in English?

? Что такое “noun modifiers”?!

66. What article indicates that the object denoted by the noun is unique or specifically known to the speaker(writer) and the hearer(reader)?

The definite article indicates that the object denoted by the noun is unique (under the circumstances, in general or specifically known to the speaker/writer and the hearer/reader).

The butter on the table has melted (расплавленный, топлёный). (But the butter in the fridge is OK.)

• The thing is unique under the circumstances;

The sky is blue.

• The thing is unique in general;

This is the boy we spoke about yesterday.

• The object is specifically known to the listener and the speaker: the speaker reminds the listener of the circumstances (“we spoke about yesterday”) when this object was previously mentioned.

67. What is a limiting attribute?

A limiting attribute denotes such a feature of the object which only the given object in the same subclass of objects possesses under the circumstances. The limiting attribute thus specifies the object in the text and makes it possible for the listener or reader to identify it. The limiting attribute may be used to specify the object when it expresses:

a) the exceptional degree of quality or exact place of the object in the numerical order of objects

He was the best actor of all.

He wished he’d had a bet on Charigold, who was the second favourite.

b) the whole of which the object is a part

Jane stole a glance out of the corner of her eye.

c) the doer of the action

It’s not the act of an angry lover?

d) the person or thing possessing the quality

You don’t suppose I would wreck the happiness of my best friend?

e) the owner of something

I even found a pool that was the home of a small octopus.

f) the time or the place of the object

She looked at the note-book in her hand and checked off the items she had written before.

g) the meaning of the noun (a verbal or a clause standing in appositive relations to the noun)

She did not consider the idea of finding Rupert Baxter and trying to argue him out of his opinions.

Note 1: The definite article will be used with the noun modified by attributes similar to those given above only if they are really limiting, i.e. if they denote a feature that is true in the given text only of this particular object.

This is the most interesting book I’ve ever read. (I’ve never read as interesting a book as this one.)

The limitation is given not only by the attribute, but also by another element of the text – “I’ve ever read”.

But: This is a most interesting book. (I find this book very interesting but there may be books as interesting for me as this one even more so.)

She had a quarrel, I believe, with her young man at the garage – Jim Harvey – a most steady, superior young man.

Note 2: The limiting attribute is unnecessary if the object in the situation described in the text is the only one of its class there and thus specifying is not required. The limiting attribute “under the circumstances”, “there” will be clearly implied in the situation and may be added if necessary.

I knocked and entered. The room was brightly lighted. There were many pictures on the walls, the floor was carpeted. (The room, the walls, the floor there.)

This view of Crome was pleasant to linger over. The facade with its three projecting towers rose precipitously from among the dark trees of the garden.