Download Noun Phrases

Eng II
•any head noun and the articles and
adjectives that modify that noun.
•Head nouns are the main nouns of
phrases. (Sometimes it is easiest to
find each of the head nouns to find
each noun phrase.)
subjects, objects of the preposition, direct
objects, indirect objects, subject
complements and object complements.
•An entire noun phrase can be replaced by
the pronoun “it” (also “she, he, they”)
• Noun phrases can exist within other noun
phrases.
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as runner-up this year.
•Can be replaced by she:
•She finished as runner-up this year.
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as runner-up this year.
•Can be replaced by it:
•The girl who won it finished as runner-up
this year.
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as runner-up this year.
•Can be replaced by it:
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as it this year.
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as runner-up this year.
•Consider this:
•The girl who won the state championship
finished as runner-up it.
•Noun phrases function as subjects when
they answer the question: “Who are what
did the verbing?”
•The man with brown hair went to the store.
•Who went to the store? The man with
brown hair.
•A noun phrase functions as the direct
object when it directly receives the action of
the verb.
•I ate the cookies with chocolate chips.
•Who or what was being eaten? The cookies
with chocolate chips.
•A noun phrase functions an object of the
preposition when it follows a preposition
and is part of a prepositional phrase.
• She took her bonnet to the new hat shop.
•A noun phrase functions as an indirect
object when it indirectly receives the action
of the verb.
•I bought Peter a new hat.
•You gave the dog water.
•A noun phrase functions as a subject
complement when it describes the subject
of a sentence.
• Obama is President of the United States.
•I am a teacher and runner.
•A noun phrase functions as an object
complement when it describes an object
(direct object, object of prep, etc.).
• The American people have elected Barack
Obama president.
•My coworkers often call our boss an idiot.