- Kosur, Heather Marie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 197 Pages – 04/21/2021 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
Level 1 is the first workbook in the elementary series. Lesson 16 teaches about noun phrases. A noun phrase is a phrase whose most important part is a noun or pronoun. The noun or pronoun is the head of the noun phrase. A noun phrase can also contain determiners and/or adjectives.
Transcript
A Form-Function English Grammar
Level 1
Lesson 16
Noun Phrases
What is a phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that goes together to form a unit. A single word can also be a phrase.
What is a noun phrase?
Remember that a noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun can take the determiner the. Nouns also have singular and plural forms. Also remember that a pronoun is a word that can replace a noun or noun phrase.
A noun phrase is a phrase whose most important part is a noun or pronoun. The noun or pronoun is the head of the noun phrase. A noun phrase can also contain determiners and/or adjectives.
Single nouns and pronouns can form noun phrases. For example, in the sentence Children laughed, the noun children forms a noun phrase. In She is here, the pronoun she forms a noun phrase. No other words go with the single noun children or the single pronoun she, so the single words form each noun phrase.
A noun phrase can also contain a determiner. For example, in the sentence Some packages arrived, the determiner (quantifier) some and the noun packages form the noun phrase some packages. In The book is there, the determiner (article) the and the noun book form the noun phrase the book. A determiner and a noun form a noun phrase in both of these examples.
A noun phrase can also contain an adjective. For example, in the sentence Fierce lions roared, the adjective fierce and the noun lions form the noun phrase fierce lions. In Clever children read, the adjective clever and the noun children form the noun phrase clever children. An adjective and a noun form a noun phrase in both examples.
A noun phrase can also contain both a determiner and an adjective. For example, in the sentence, A yummy pie baked, the determiner (article) a, adjective yummy, and noun pie form the noun phrase a yummy pie. In My sweet baby cried, the determiner (possessive determiner) my, adjective sweet, and noun baby form the noun phrase my sweet baby. A determiner, an adjective, and a noun form a noun phrase in both examples.
One sentence can contain one or more noun phrases.
Look at the sentence She is a lucky linguist. What are the noun phrases?
The word she is a pronoun. No other words go with she, so the pronoun she forms a noun phrase. The word is is a verb and therefore does not form a noun phrase.
The word a is an article (a determiner). The word lucky is an adjective. The word linguist is a noun. The article a and the adjective lucky go with the noun linguist to form a unit, so the words a lucky linguist form a noun phrase. The noun linguist is the most important part of the noun phrase a lucky linguist.
The two noun phrases in the sentence are she and a lucky linguist.
Now look at the sentence Those boys ate toast in the morning. What are the noun phrases?
The word those is a demonstrative determiner and the word boys is a noun. The demonstrative determiner those and the noun boys go together to form the unit those boys, so those boys is a noun phrase. The word ate is a verb and therefore does not form a noun phrase.
The word toast is a noun. No other words go with toast, so the word toast forms a noun phrase.
The word the is an article (a determiner). The word morning is a noun. The determiner the goes with the noun morning to form a unit, so the morning is a noun phrase.
The three noun phrases in the sentence are those boys, toast, and the morning.
So, what is a noun phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that goes together to form a unit. A single word can also be a phrase. A noun phrase is a phrase whose most important part is a noun or pronoun. The noun or pronoun is the head of the noun phrase. A noun phrase can also contain determiners and/or adjectives. A sentence can contain one or more noun phrases. Now practice your knowledge of noun phrases by completing the exercises in Lesson 16 of A Form-Function English Grammar: Level 1, pages 64 through 67.