Noun Phrases – Complete Explanation

English Grammar

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Well, in this occasion, I will give explanation about Noun Phrases.
Do you ever hear about this material before? If you are not, please pay attention my explanation about this material and read this material carefully. Oke, check this out.

What is a noun phrase?

A noun phrase is a phrase which includes:

  1. a noun (also called head)
  2. and optionally modifiers.

Examples:

  • Love is a beautiful feeling. (Love is a noun phrase without modifiers. However, a beautiful feeling is a noun phrase that includes a noun, feeling, and the determiner a and the adjective beautiful)
  • My house is over there. (My house is a noun phrase which consists of the noun house and a modifier – the possessive adjective my)

Possible noun modifiers

A noun phrase may optionally contain noun modifiers. If these modifiers are placed before the noun they are called pre-modifiers. However, if they are placed after the noun, they are called post-modifiers. Possible noun modifiers include the following:

  1. Determiners:
  • articles(the, a),
  • demonstratives(this, that)
  • numerals (two, five, etc.)
  • possessives(my, their, etc.)
  • quantifiers(some, many, etc.).

In English, determiners are usually placed before the noun;

  1. adjectives(the deliciousfood)
  2. complements, in the form of a prepositional phrase (such as: the student of physics), or a That-clause (the idea that the world is a small village )

Determiner and adjective is premodifier, complement is post modifier

So, Noun phrases normally consist of a head noun, which is optionally modified (“premodified” if the modifier appears before the noun; “postmodified” if the modifier follows the noun).

Functions of a noun phrase

Noun phrases can function as subjects, objects:

  1. That sophisticated woman is beautiful. (That sophisticated woman is a noun phrase that functions as a subject.)
  2. I like the book that you bought. (the book that you bought is a noun phrase that functions as an object.)

Pre-modifiers dan Post-modifiers

Pre-modifiers

  1. Determiners:
  • articles (the, a),
  • demonstratives (this, that)
  • numerals (two, five, etc.)
  • possessives(my, their, etc.)
  • quantifiers (some, many, etc.).

In English, determiners are usually placed before the noun;

  1. adjectives (the deliciousfood)

Post-modifiers

Post-modifiers commonly answer the traditional news reporting questions of who, what, where, when, how, or why. Noun post-modifiers commonly take the following forms:

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I think my explanation about the point above is enough. If you have a question about the grammar rule I have just explained just now, you can write a comment in the comment form below. I will feel happy to answer your question or may be if you have suggestion or correction about it, you can also write a comment.

Reference
https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-noun-phrases.php
http://www.criticalreading.com/noun_phrase.htm

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