| The nominal expression is the noun-like class of words that is probably the most common realization of a noun phrase. One may appear without a determiner, in which case it is little more than a designation for a particular person, place, or thing, either in the abstract or as something more substantive. Nominals are personal pronouns, people’s names, and other proper nouns. When the nominal appears in combination with a determiner, it is usually a common noun. By itself a common noun in contrast to the proper noun does not usually refer to a particular thing, but to a whole class of things. |