Noun phrase quiz

Explanation: The headword ‘noun’ of a noun phrase has nothing to do with its number; it can be both singular and plural.

Explanation: The predicate of a sentence is its main verb or the verb phrase. A noun phrase can’t function as the predicate of a sentence.

Explanation: An adjective complement is an adverb or adverbial that gives further information about an adjective.

Examples:

1. I am happy for you.  (complementing the adjective ‘happy’)
2. We were excited to join the program. (complementing the adjective ‘excited’)

The phrases underlined are adjective complements, giving information about an adjective. The first one is a prepositional phrase, and the second one is an infinitive phrase. A noun phrase does not work as an adjective complement.

Noun phrase (subject complement): You are a good friend.
Noun phrase (object complement): He can’t call me his brother now.

Explanation: A modifier in a noun phrase can come before, after, or both before and after the headword (noun). The words that come before a noun (the headword of a noun phrase) and modify it are called premodifiers, and the words that come after it are called postmodifiers.

1. The match is not happening.
(noun = match, premodifier = the)

2. My first job was a disaster.
(Noun phrase 1 = my first job, noun = job, premodifiers = my, first)
(Noun phrase 2 = a disaster, disaster = job, premodifier = a)

3. The goal of the company is too big.
(Noun = goal, premodifier = the, postmodfier = of the company)

Explanation: It has a headword ‘house’ and a premodifier ‘a’.

Explanation: It is a noun phrase having ‘man’ as the headword and ‘a’ and ‘smart’ its modifiers. The first two examples are incomplete noun phrases as they miss the head of the noun phrase. The last one ‘full of zeal’ is an adjective phrase.

Explanation: It is a prepositional phrase. ‘Near‘ is the preposition and ‘the house’ is its object. All the other ones are noun phrases.

Explanation: It is an adverb phrase. It does not function as a noun in a sentence.

Explanation: It is a phrase headed by a verb, which means ‘to sleep’. It functions as a predicate in a sentence. EX – You hit the hay now.

Explanation: ‘Another’ is a determiner and ‘chance’ is the headword (noun).

Explanation: It is a noun phrase headed by the noun ‘holiday‘, and ‘an‘ and ‘extra‘ are its modifiers. It functions as the direct object of the verb ‘give’.

Explanation: ‘My goal in life’ is a noun phrase, working as the subject of the sentence. Here, ‘goal’ is the headword (noun) and other words are simply modifying it.

My = premodifier (possessive adjective)
In life = postmodifier (prepositional phrase)

Explanation: Both gerund and infinitive phrases are types of noun phrases. These are phrases that function as a noun in a sentence. A participle phrase does not function as a noun; it usually functions as an adjective or adverb.

1. I love (teaching English).  (Gerund phrase working as a noun (the object of the verb ‘love’))
2. (To go there alone) can be dangerous. (Infinitive phrase working as a noun (the subject))

Explanation: ‘Confronting the boss’ is a noun phrase, working as the object of the preposition ‘of’. It is a gerund phrase working as a noun. The other options don’t work as a noun in the sentence.

Explanation: The phrase ‘to marry Sophie’ (infinitive phrase) functions as a noun, the object of the verb ‘want’. It is the only noun phrase in the sentence.

Explanation: Noun phrases in English can be formed in three ways:

1. Pre-modifier/s noun                                          (Ex – my friend)
2. Noun post-modifier/s                                        (Ex – people of China)
3. Premodifier/s noun post-modifier/s                 (Ex – the goal of my business)

Explanation: A prepositional phrase can’t function as a premodifier in a noun phrase. The other ones can and are often used in forming noun phrases. One of them or all of them together can be used in a noun phrase as premodifiers.

Determiner noun

• A man
• The man
• My friend
• This man

Determiner adjective noun

• A good man
• A smart man

Determiner number adjective noun

• These two young guys
• My two younger sisters

Explanation: A gerund phrase does not function as a modifier. Therefore, it can’t be used as a postmodifier in a noun phrase. The other ones can.

Explanation: It can’t be a part of a noun phrase as a postmodifier. In general, too, a verb phrase does not function as a modifier.

Postmodifiers in a noun phrase:

1. The girl of my dream (noun = girl, premodifier = the, postmodifier = of my dream (prepositional phrase))
2. The man looking at us (noun = man, premodifier = the, postmodifier = looking at us (present participle phrase))
3. A book written by Ashish (noun = book, premodifier = a, postmodifier = written by Ashish (past participle phrase))
4. The right thing to do now (noun = thing, premodifiers = the, right, postmodifier = to do now (infinitive phrase))
5. Some books that I have read (noun = books, premodifier = some, postmodifier = that I have read (adjective clause))

Explanation: It is a noun phrase headed by the pronoun ‘some’. The prepositional phrase ‘of my family members’ modifies it and works as a postmodifier in the noun phrase. Note that a noun phrase can be headed by a noun/pronoun.

Explanation: It is a noun phrase headed by the word ‘people’. The words some, tall, black, and American are premodifiers that modify the headword ‘people’.