Noun Phrases

Definition

• A noun phrase consists of:
  • A noun or pronoun (the head)
  • Any dependent words (modifiers) before or after the head

Purpose

• Noun phrases make nouns more specific.

Examples of Noun Phrases

• General Noun:
  • woman
  • car
• Noun Phrase:
  • the mysterious woman in black (modifier: "the mysterious")
  • the green sporty car (modifier: "the green sporty")

Parts of a Noun Phrase

• Modifiers (dependent words): Give specific information about the head noun.
• Determiner + Noun:
  • Example: Our friends ("our" is a determiner, "friends" is a noun)
  • Example: Those houses
• Adjective + Noun:
  • Example: Our closest friends
  • Example: A new house
• Quantifier + Determiner + Noun:
  • Example: All those children
• Just a Noun or Pronoun:
  • Example: People (noun)
  • Example: I (pronoun)

Order of Noun Phrases

1. Determiner
2. Adjective
3. Noun (acting as modifier)

Stress in Noun Phrases

• Spoken stress is normally on the head noun.
• Example: A heavy iron gate
  • Stress on "gate"
• Example: Your dark blue villain jacket
  • Stress on "jacket"

Types of Modifiers

Modifiers Before the Noun

• Articles: a, the
• Possessive Nouns: Rita's, the neighbor's
• Possessive Pronouns: our, her, their
• Adjectives: that, big, spotted
• Participles: the barking, the well-trained

Modifiers After the Noun

• Prepositional Phrases: on the bench, in the attic
• Adjective Clauses: that chases hens, that looks happy
• Participle Phrases: whining for a treat, trimmed at the grooming salon
• Infinitives: to catch, to train, to adopt

Functions of Noun Phrases in Sentences

1. Subject:
   • Example: The yellow house is for sale
2. Direct Object:
   • Example: I want a skateboard
   • Example: The yellow house is...
3. Object of a Preposition:
   • Example: Rohit rode on a skateboard
4. Indirect Object:
   • Example: Radha gave the little boy a candy

Summary

• Noun phrases enhance the specificity of the noun and can function in various grammatical roles within a sentence.