Noun phrase
A noun phrase is a structure that has a noun , a pronoun , or a noun word as its head or higher-ranking element. For example: The neighbor’s son is very intelligent. In this article we will provide the concept of Noun phrases examples with Modifiers and functions.
A noun phrase can be formed in two ways:
- By a single noun or pronoun. For example: She left.
- For a term that functions as a nucleus accompanied by other words that modify it. For example: My grandmother’s house was beautiful.
Noun Phrase Modifiers
The term that functions as the head of the structure is the only mandatory element in a noun phrase. In case it is accompanied by other words that modify it, they can be:
- Determinants . They are the definite and indefinite articles ( the, the, the, the, some, some, etc.), the demonstratives ( this, that, that, etc.), the possessive pronouns ( his, my, your, ours, etc. ), ordinal and cardinal numerals ( two, seven, fourth, tenth, etc.), indefinite pronouns ( many, some, several, etc.) and exclamatory or interrogative pronouns ( what, how many, etc.). Usually, but not necessarily, determiners appear before the head. For example: The three musketeers left the castle.
- Adjacent plugins . They are adjectives that modify the nucleus and can be placed before or after it. For example: The red car is in the garage.
- Name complements . These are prepositional phrases that complement the nucleus. For example: We sold the kitchen table so we could buy another one.
- Appositions . They are structures equivalent to the main noun phrase, which specify or explain it. For example: Roberto, my neighbor, was sick all week.
- adjective propositions . They are subordinate structures that serve to specify certain properties of the noun and are introduced by relative pronouns . They fulfill the same functions as an adjective. For example: The person who serves breakfast is late.
Functions of noun phrases
A noun phrase can fulfill the following syntactic functions:
- Subject , which is the main function of this type of phrase. The core of the structure must agree in person and number with the verb of the sentence. For example: Winter was late in coming.
- Direct object , in which case it can be replaced by lo, la, los, las and is not introduced by a linking verb. For example: He kicked the ball too hard and it punctured it.
- Circumstantial complement , which can be of time or quantity. For example: Next week they will go to the market to look for provisions.
- Predicative complement , which expresses a quality, property or state of the subject or of the direct object, with which it must agree in gender and number. For example: The commission appointed the former secretary director of the institute .
- Attribute , in which case it can be replaced by lo and appears with linking verbs , such as to be, to be, to seem, etc. For example: This is the house I’ve dreamed of all my life .
Examples of sentences with noun phrases
- The warrior won all his fights .
- The young man is eating an apple .
- The restaurant will close its doors at midnight.
- The rock band presented their latest album in an unforgettable concert.
- The dark-haired woman is my mother .
- We will buy a huge house for the whole family.
- They were together all afternoon and they didn’t want to be apart anymore.
- Beach vacations will have to be postponed until next year.
- Traffic noise was very disturbing in that neighborhood.
- Chivalry novels are out of fashion.
- I will send a long letter to my brother to tell him the news.
- His capacity for wonder knew no limits .
- Juliana has many friends who do not value her enough .
- The rain was heavier than usual that morning .
- My younger brothers always get what they want.
- The chef of the mansion prepared some exquisite dishes for the guests.
- Several shots were heard in the distance and the police quickly arrived at the scene.
- Coexistence between them is increasingly difficult.
- My best friend is a great adventure partner .
- I lost the books I borrowed from the library .
- The doctor gave the patient all the postoperative indications .
- The driver stopped the huge bus on the side of the road.
- The cat’s coat has black, white, and brown spots .
- The business telephone is broken and calls cannot be received .
- Life is not always fair.
- The aircraft made an emergency landing .
- The crowd acclaimed their idols with shouts and applause.
- Maria, the mother of my friend , is an exceptional woman .
- Gather all your things and get out of here.
- The imperial city was more deserted than ever.
We hope you have understood the Noun phrases examples with Modifiers and functions.
