Bare Nominal Arguments

What Is a Bare Nominal Argument?

A bare nominal argument (also called a bare noun phrase or zerodeterminer NP) is a noun phrase that appears without an overt determiner, article, or quantifier. In English they are relatively rare compared to languages such as Russian or Japanese, where they are the norm. Typical examples include:

• She enjoys coffee.
• We need water.
• He bought computers.

In each case the noun functions as the direct object of the verb, yet it lacks a definite article (the), an indefinite article (a / an), or a demonstrative (this, that).

Why Do Bare Nominals Occur?

Several semantic and syntactic factors make a bare nominal acceptable:

1. Generic reference: When the noun refers to a whole class or a substance, the article is often omitted.
   Examples: Birds migrate south., Milk is white.
2. Mass nouns: Nouns that denote uncountable substances tend to appear bare when they are used generically.
   Examples: We need sugar., She likes music.
3. Plural count nouns in generic contexts: Plural nouns can be bare when they express a generalization.
   Examples: Dogs bark., Students study hard.
4. Specialized lexical items: Certain verbs select for bare objects because the noun expresses a material or an activity.
   Examples: He drinks coffee., She rides bicycles.

Contrast With Determined NPs

The same nouns can appear with determiners, altering the meaning:

For many mass nouns, the bare form is normal (water, information), whereas for count nouns a determiner is expected unless the sentence is generic.

CrossLinguistic Perspective

Languages differ in how they treat noun determinacy:

• Russian: No obligatory articles; bare nouns are the default in both specific and generic contexts.
• Japanese: Uses particles rather than articles; bare nouns are common, and specificity is often inferred from context.
• English: Articles are obligatory for singular count nouns in most nongeneric contexts, making bare nominals a salient feature to study.

Grammatical Constraints in English

While bare nominals are possible, they are subject to several constraints:

• Verb selection: Some verbsespecially those denoting consumption, acquisition, or perceptionfrequently permit bare objects (eat rice, drink tea).
• Countability: Singular count nouns almost always require a determiner unless they are part of an idiomatic expression (go to school, in prison).
• Specificity vs. genericity: Bare plurals or mass nouns typically convey a generic reading; to refer to a specific set, a determiner is added (the dogs in the yard).

Common Errors Involving Bare Nominals

Learners of English often overgeneralize the barenoun pattern, producing sentences such as:

• *I need book. (should be I need a book.)
• *She bought car. (should be She bought a car.)
• *He loves dogs. (acceptable when generic; problematic if the intended meaning is a particular group of dogs).

Understanding the semantic nuance of the noun (mass vs. count, generic vs. specific) helps avoid these pitfalls.

Further Reading

• Chomsky, N. (1995). The Minimalist Program. MIT Press discussion of nounphrase structure.
• Fowler, R. (1996). Lexical Semantics. Oxford University Press sections on mass nouns and genericity.
• Huddleston, R. & Pullum, G. (2002). Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press comprehensive treatment of determiners.