LoginNoun Phrases
In this lesson we learn about phrases, which are essential groups of words that function together to add meaning to a sentence without containing a subject and a verb. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Are Noun Phrases?
Noun phrases are groups of words that function together to act as a noun in a sentence. A noun phrase can consist of just a single word, or it can be more complex and include modifiers, determiners, and other words that provide additional information about the noun.
Structure a Noun Phrase
In general, a noun phrase will include a head noun, which is the word that the phrase is centered around. Other words in the phrase will modify and provide additional information about the head noun, such as its quantity, possession, location, or other qualities. These modifiers are called dependents. A noun phrase can have one or more dependents or no dependents at all.
Basically, a noun phrase can consist of three main parts:
pre-modifier(s)
head
post-modifier(s)
Pre-modifiers
Pre-determiners are a type of modifier that can be used before the head noun in a noun phrase to provide additional information about its quantity or specificity. English pre-modifiers include:
Determiners
A determiner is a pre-modifier that provides information about the identity, quantity, or possession of the head noun. There are several different types of determiners in English, including articles, demonstratives, possessives, and quantifiers. These determiners appear in a specific order. in the phrase. Pay attention to the examples:
My friend is a dentist.
Here, 'my' is a determiner and 'my friend' is a noun phrase.
This book is really interesting.
Here, 'this' is a determiner and 'this book' is a noun phrase.
All these houses are up for sale.
Here, 'all' is a quantifier, and 'these' is a demonstrative determiner and together with the noun (house) they form a noun phrase.
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns can function as modifiers in a noun phrase, providing information about the possession or relationship of the head noun. Check these examples:
Hanna's father is a logical man. He would understand the situation.
I called his friend's girlfriend, but she couldn't come.
Attributive Prepositive Adjectives
A noun phrase can consist of an adjective and a noun. In this case, the adjective modifies or describes the noun, providing additional information about its characteristics or qualities.
He wanted to buy new shoes.
Here, 'new' is an adjective that modifies the noun 'shoes.'
The red cotton skirt is hers.
Noun Modifiers
Noun (pre)modifiers are optional words that come before a noun and modify its meaning. These modifiers function similarly to adjectives by providing additional information about the noun. Take a look at some examples:
I love mushroom soup, but she's making chicken soup.
I'm looking for a car park.
Post-modifiers
Post-modifiers are words or phrases that come after a noun or noun phrase to modify or provide additional information about it. Here are some of the most common post-modifiers in English:
prepositional phrases
adverbs
that-clauses
infinitive clauses
participle clauses
relative clauses
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase is a phrase that is placed after a preposition. In the case of noun phrases, prepositional phrases can be placed after the noun and modify it. Here are a few examples:
the house behind the fence
that room in the back
the man in the back yard
the doll under the table
Tip!
Sometimes one of the modifiers of a noun phrase can be a noun phrase on its own. For example:
the corner near that tall tree
Here, the noun 'tree' is the head of the phrase 'near that tall tree' which is a modifier for the wider noun phrase 'the corner near that tall tree.'
the little girl in the corner
Here, 'girl' is the head of the noun phrase, modified by a prepositional phrase 'in the corner.' 'Corner' is also the head of the phrase 'in the corner.'
Adverbs
Adverbs can be used as the modifier of a noun when they come immediately after the noun or pronoun they modify. For example:
Look at the man there!
The people inside cheered loudly.
The path forward is steep.
That-clauses
That-clauses are subordinate clauses that begin with the word 'that' and modify or provide additional information about a noun or noun phrase. Here are some examples:
the idea that we should recycle more
the belief that hard work pays off
the rumor that she won the competition
the fact that he arrived late
Infinitive Clauses
Infinitive clauses are made up of the particle 'to' followed by the base form of the verb. Check out the examples:
a dog to train
a cat to chase the mice
a house to rent
a car to race
Infinitive clause vs. Prepositional phrase
Do not confuse infinitive clauses with prepositional phrases. While prepositional phrases consist of a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun, infinitive clauses consist of the particle "to" followed by a verb.
Participle Clauses
participle clauses are a type of non-finite clause that can modify a noun or noun phrase in a sentence. When used as postmodifiers, they follow the noun they modify. Here are a few examples:
the dog trained at the academy
the cat sleeping in the shade
the house rented in Hawaii
the girl standing over there
Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are clauses that start with a relative pronoun or a relative adverb, and are used to post-modify the head of a noun. Here are the examples:
the season when you arrived
the man whom I called my husband
the food that was made
the teacher who taught us math
Noun Phrases: Functions
Noun phrases can be a single word or a group of words that serve several functions within a sentence, including the following:
Here are a few examples for each function of noun phrases:
A beautiful girl was crying. → subject
She has many good friends. → object
The box is a big expensive present. → subject complement
I will call you the red head. → object complement
Peter, Mark's father, is a handsome man. → appositive
Noun Phrases: Word Order
Modifiers that can be used to form a noun phrase appear in a particular order:
determiner + adjectives + nouns as modifiers + head + clauses + prepositional phrase/adverb
Check out the examples:
Some fascinating history books to read about ancient civilizations
Some (determiner) + fascinating (adjective) + history (noun modifier) + books (head) + to read (infinitive clause) + about ancient civilizations (prepositional phrase)
His green silk scarf that he wears around his neck
His (determiner) + green (adjective) + silk (noun modifier) + scarf (head) + that he wears ( relative clause) + around his neck (prepositional phrase)
Using Adverbs with Noun Phrases
Adverbs can be used in different positions. So, based on the context, you can use adverbs in different positions.
Noun Phrase Vs. Noun Clause
Noun phrases do not contain a verb and can consist of one or more words. In contrast, noun clauses must contain a subject and a verb, and cannot consist of only one word. However, certain types of noun clauses, such as non-finite noun clauses, may not follow this rule. Check out the examples:
Whoever wants to pass the test must study the grammar very well. → noun clause
In this example, the relative pronoun 'whoever' is the subject of the verb 'wants,' so, it is a noun clause.
That beautiful girl is my sister. → noun phrase
Here, the noun phrase 'that beautiful girl' has no verbs.
The Importance of Identifying the Head Noun
It's important to identify the head noun in a sentence because when the head noun is the subject of a verb, it determines the form of the verb that should be used. Look at the example:
His big bag of chips was (not were) in the kitchen.
Here, the head noun is 'bag' not 'chips,' therefore a singular verb is used.
Review
A noun phrase is a group of words headed by a noun or a pronoun that includes modifiers.
Noun Phrase Structure
Determiner + Noun | My friend is a dentist. |
|---|---|
Adjective + Noun | I have bought new shoes. |
Quantifier + Determiner + Noun | All these houses are up for sale. |
Noun Phrase Order
determiner + adjectives + nouns as modifiers + head
Quiz:
Which of the following is the head noun in the phrase "the red book on the shelf"?
the
red
book
shelf
Match each noun phrase with the type of its modifier.
In the sentence "She gave me the book I wanted," what is the function of the noun phrase "the book I wanted"?
object of preposition
subject complement
object
appositive
Sort the words according to the correct order of words in a noun phrase.
Complete the table below by identifying whether each example is a noun phrase or a noun clause.
the cat sitting on the windowsill | |
whoever stole the cookies | |
a beautiful painting of a sunset | |
when the show begins | |
the tall man with the red hat | |
a box full of old photographs | |
why the experiment failed |
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