Clauses Noun Phrases Verb Phrases Adverbials Connectors More Practices Grammar-Quizzes › Clauses › Clause Structure › A Noun A Noun Recognize how it can function in a clause the private jet overhead ‹ diagram › ► What is a noun and a noun phrase? Noun Phrase What can come before or after a noun? Determiners, Adjectives, and Modifiers DETERMINATIVE MODIFIER NOUN NOUN COMPLEMENT Most nouns require a determiner. Singular nouns require some kind of marker. Plural count nouns do not require but can take a determinative marker. Optionally, a descriptive word such as an adjective or adjective phrase can be placed before the noun. An adjective phrase may also include modifiers to the adjective. A noun serves as the "head" of the noun phrase. Optionally, a longer modifier can be placed after the noun. It may be prepositional phrase (PP), a relative clause, or a reduced clause. DETERMINER ADJECTIVE NOUN PHRASE / CLAUSE A jet See Articles – "a" The private jet overhead (P) in front of you (PP) See Articles – "the" with silver wings (PP) This / That jumbo See Demonstratives 60-meter long jet that is landing (clause) landing (reduced clause) Some / Most / All big, private jets Very large jets See Quantifiers — that are arriving from overseas (clause + PP) A modifier is considered to be part of the noun phrase if it is required to identify the noun. A noun phrase is a word group that (1) includes a head noun; (2) does not express a complete thought; (3) does not meet the requirements of being a grammatical sentence. (Swan 384) Noun Phrase What is the content of a noun phrase? Animate/Inanimate—names, titles, concepts, activities ANIMATE (ALIVE) A noun phrase may refer to something that is living and breathing by a variety of names such as a title, a group, a pronoun, or an agreed upon concept such as nationality. PROPER NAMES Captain Wagner flew the aircraft. (Proper Name: Title + Name) TITLES The FAA Administrator licensed Captain Wagner. (Personal noun: title) PRONOUNS He passed his training, examination and test flight. (Personal pronoun: the pilot) GROUP NOUNS The class passed their examinations. (Group: members) The blind receive special passes. (The Group: shared attribute) QUANTIFIED NOUNS A lot of people ran toward us. A mob of fans met us at the airport. (Quantified personal noun) CONCEPTS The Dutch train their own pilots. (Nationality is an agreed upon concept of borders.) INANIMATE A noun phrase may also refer to something inanimate such as a location name, an idea, an institution, an event, and a concept. PROPER NAMES–LOCATION The aircraft left San Francisco International Airport. (Location: Official Name) TITLES The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed Captain Wagner. (Institution: official name) PRONOUNS The administrators approved it. (the route) (Impersonal pronoun: reference to previous mention) COLLECTIVE NOUNS Aviation attracts new pilots. (Collective nouns: field/expertise) The Boy Scouts is an international organization. (Organization) QUANTIFIED NOUNS Five per cent of the fleet of aircraft needs replacement. (Quantified noun: limited amount) CONCEPTS Flight has been a dream for centuries. (Concept) ACTIVITIES / EVENTS The piloting of a 787 is requires a lot of knowledge. The training is intense. (Some nouns that end with -ing are true nouns.) TIME Today is a great day. / This morning is a clear. (Temporal nouns—afternoon, evening, mid-day, morning, yesterday, today, tomorrow, tonight, instant, minute, second, day, week, month, season, year, decade, century, moment) PLACE Here is a landing strip. / Outside is the stairway. (Locational nouns—ahead, away, upstairs, downhill, room, house, home, hospital, building, city, district, community, department, town, township, burgh, shire, divisision, duchy, county, area, province, kingdom, principality, state, country, empire, North, East, West, South, territory, region, continent, world, etc. license (Eng-US) licence (Eng-Br) Most temporal nouns require a determiner, but not today, tonight ("this day", "this night") tomorrow ("the next day") yesterday ("day before this day") Most locational nouns accept a determiner, but not home ("He was at home."), hospital ("He was in hospital.") [Eng-Br] or proper nouns such as Athens, Paris, Sydney, etc. Related page: Unusual Singular/Plural Nouns. Noun Phrase How does a noun phrase function? As the subject or object of a clause SUBJECT NOUN PHRASE A noun phrase can function as the subject of a clause. SUBJECT PREDICATE OBJECT NP V NP The silver jet approached the runway. OBJECT NOUN PHRASE Or it can function as the object of a clause or of a prepositional phrase. SUBJECT PREDICATE OBJECT NP V NP The silver jet approached the runway. As the object of a prepositional phrase PREP PHRASE THAT MODIFIES SUBJECT A noun or a pronoun can serve as the object of a prepositional phrase that modifies the subject noun. SUBJECT PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE NP P+P PREDICATE NP [OBJECT] V The jet next to us landed. The plane in front of the terminal is arriving. PREP PHRASE THAT MODIFIES PREDICATE A noun phrase can also function as the object of a prepositional phrase that is a predicate complement. SUBJECT PREDICATE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE NP V P NP [OBJECT] The jet landed on the runway The jet took off¹ at noon took off (phrasal verb) – [verb + particle] an idiom that expresses leave the ground and fly. See Phrasal Verbs. Word Categories: N – Noun; V – Verb; Aux – Auxiliary; Adj – Adjective; Adv – Adverb; P – Preposition; Det –Determiner. Phrasal Categories: NP – Noun Phrase; VP – Verb Phrase; AdjP – Adjective Phrase; AdvP – Adverb Phrase; PP – Prepositional Phrase; DP – Determinative Phrase. Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite clause; NF – nonfinite clause (Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle). Word Functions: Subj – subject; Pred – predicate/predicator; Comp – complement: elements required by an expression to complete its meaning (DO – direct object; IO – indirect object); Adjunct – adjunct: elements not required by an expression to complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added onto a clause that is not closely related to the central thought or structure of the main clause. Noun Properties (functions or uses) A Noun The following are basic properties that members of the category Noun share. Nouns can function in other ways as well. 1) FUNCTIONS AS SUBJECT OR OBJECT 2) INFLECTS FOR NUMBER, PLURALIZES Noun is a distinct category of words that name such things as persons, places and things but also concepts, fields of studies, language and much more. A noun can function as a subject or an object. Some nouns can form plurals (count nouns). Others (noncount nouns) do not form plurals. Some nouns only occur in singular form; others only occur in plural form. All singular nouns require some kind of marker. A noun phrase with a marker is called a determined noun phrase. Plural count nouns do not require but can take a determinative marker. Jets fly high. (subject) jet / jets (count noun) A jet is overhead. Pilots fly jets. (object) fuel (noncount noun) The fuel is expensive. People fly inside of jets. (object scissors (plural in form) Some jets are overhead. of preposition) Jets were flown by pilots. (subject of passive construction) 3) TAKES A DETERMINER series (word form ends in s) people, police (singular in form) Those jets are overhead again. aircraft, sheep, fish (singular is Such jets are expensive. same as plural form) 4) AGREES WITH THE VERB 5) ACCEPTS AN AJECTIVE 6) ACCEPTS A PREP PHRASE A noun is singular or plural in agreement with the verb. (Exceptions: Unusual Sing/Pl Nouns) A noun accepts an adjective before it. A noun accepts a prepositional phrase after it. A jet flies high. (singular) A large jet landed. A jet in the sky appears tiny. We saw a jumbo jet land. We saw a jet with blue stripes. Jets fly high. (plural) Fuel is expensive. (singular) category — in grammar "lexical categories", words that that function similarly in clauses and share same or like properties. See Word Categories and their properties. property (N) — an essential or distinctive attribute or quality of a thing (e.g., Elements in the same group of the periodic table have similar chemical properties (e.g., metals, metalloids, and nonmetals). Also see Noun, Verb, Gerund, Participle Properties | Nouns as Modifiers | Noun Forms Ending in -ing (difference between gerund and noun) Practice 1 Luxury Aircraft Read Context A private jet offers luxury services to travelers who can afford it. A variety of comforts and special features are on board. The well-designed interiors have comfortable seats, work tables, and Internet access. The wide aisles leave enough space to walk around. Some private jet services include a chef. Gourmet breakfasts, lunches and dinners are prepared in the galley of the aircraft. Tired passengers can nap in their seats or they can sleep in one of the on-board bedrooms. A relaxing shower in the spa will allow a passenger to arrive fresh and ready to greet people. Such conveniences are the result of new technology and creative thinking. In so many ways, luxury jets are like flying luxury hotels. "First Class Cabin Features." Emirates. 2014. Web. 27 July 2014. <emirates.com>. GLOSSARY access (N) – something that is easy to get to or to have aircraft (N) – general term for all planes, jets, helicopters, drones afford (V) – have enough money to pay for something aisle (N) – walkway in a vehicle or venue, such as an arena, stadium or church chef (N) – a professional cook comfort (N) – something that is comfortable, soothes or relieves convenience (N) – anything that saves or simplifies work, adds to one's ease or comfort creative (Adj) – new, imaginative, inventive, innovative design (N) – arrangement of furniture, the floor plan, and the selection of materials gallery (N) – a kitchen aboard a ship or aircraft greet (V) – welcome, say hello gourmet (N, Adj) – being of high-quality (food and preparation) interior (N) – inside area on-board (P, Adj) – inside the airplane (a term used with ships, aircraft and buses) variety (N) – different kinds Identify the "head noun" in the subject noun phrase. 1. Select the word. (The head noun is the main or primary noun in the noun phrase.) 2. Read the feedback box to check your answer, or click the "Check 1-5" button at the bottom. 1. A private jet offers luxury services to travelers who can afford it. [Identify the head noun in the subject noun phrase only.] A private jet A private jet Feedback 1 Check 1 2. A variety of comforts and special features are on board. variety comforts special comforts & features Feedback 2 Check 2 3. The well-designed interiors have comfortable seats, work tables, and internet access. well-designed interiors seats internet Feedback 3 Check 3 4. The wide aisles leave enough space to walk around. The aisles aisles wide aisles leave Feedback 4 Check 4 5. Some private jet services include a chef. Some private jet services Feedback 5 Check 5 Check 1-5 Practice 2 Reset Luxury Flight II Select all the words in the subject-noun phrase. 1. Select the words (more than one) 2. Read the feedback box to check your answer, or click the "Check 1-5" button at the bottom. 6. Gourmet breakfasts, lunches and dinners are prepared in the galley of the aircraft. [Select the words in the subject noun phrase(s).] Gourmet breakfasts lunches dinners galley aircraft Feedback 6 Check 6 7. Tired passengers can nap in their seats or they can sleep in one of the on-board bedrooms. [Select the words in the subject noun phrase(s).] Tired passengers nap seats they bedrooms Feedback 7 Check 7 8. A relaxing shower in the spa will allow a passenger to arrive fresh and ready to greet people. [Select the words in the subject noun phrase(s).] A relaxing shower in the spa Feedback 8 Check 8 9. Such conveniences are the result of new technology and creative thinking. [Select the words in the subject noun phrase(s).] Such conveniences the result creative thinking Feedback 9 Check 9 10. In so many ways, luxury jets are like flying luxury hotels. [Select the words in the subject noun phrase(s).] In so many ways luxury jets Feedback 10 Check 6-10 Grammar-Quizzes › Clauses › Clause Structure › A Noun Reset Julie Sevastopoulos (contact) — ESL / ELL / TEFL — English Grammar Reference / Resource – Practices & Exercises – Palo Alto, California USA — 10 Nov 2022 Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
