Noun Phrase

Noun Phrase:

A noun phrase usually tells us what or who is involved in the action of the sentence. It can describe:

The student who won the medal is absent today.

Noun Phrase: The student who won the medal.

• The (determiner)

• student (head noun)

• who won the medal (post-modifier: relative clause)
  This is the subject.

• She received a gift from her best friend.

• Noun Phrase: A gift from her best friend

• Explanation:

  • A (determiner)

  • gift (head noun)

  • from her best friend (post-modifier: prepositional phrase)
    This is the object.

1. Who is doing something (the subject)

2. Who or what is receiving the action (the object)

3. Who or what the sentence is about (a complement)

A noun phrase usually answers the question:

• Who? (The girl, My uncle, Some children)

• What? (A large house, An old storybook, The barking dog)

Examples:

1. The hungry lion roared loudly.

• Noun Phrase: The hungry lion

• It describes who roared — the lion.

2. She saw a beautiful painting of a sunset.

• Noun Phrase: a beautiful painting of a sunset

• It describes what she saw — the painting.

We split the noun phrase to find out  more detail: 

An exciting movie about space was released last week.

• Noun Phrase: An exciting movie about space

• Explanation:An (determiner)

  • exciting (adjective)

  • movie (head noun)

  • about space (post-modifier: prepositional phrase)
    This is the subject.  

Sentences:

1. The little kitten slept on the couch.

2. A group of noisy students entered the hall.

3. My favorite red jacket is missing.

4. The old man with a cane walked slowly.

5. She bought a box of delicious chocolates.

6. An exciting story about dragons was told.

7. The boy who plays the guitar is my cousin.

8. A pile of dirty clothes was on the floor.

9. The car with the broken window is gone.
10. We visited a village near the mountains.