The structure of noun phrases

1
The structure of noun phrases

• Kuiper and Allan Chapter 7.1.3

2
Noun phrase

• Examples
• a. the dog
• b. a moderately short programme
• c. some very old cars
• d. six bags of wholemeal flour
• e. very dirty marks on the walls

3
Representing the structure of noun phrases
noun phrase
noun
the
dog
4
a moderately short
programme
noun phrase
adjective phrase
noun
adjective
adverb
a
short
programme
moderately
5
Constituents of noun phrases

• determiners
• articles
• the (definite article)
• a (indefinite article)
• demonstratives
• this, that, these, those
• numerals
• Cardinal, e.g. 1, 2, 3
• Ordinal, e.g first, second, third
• quantifiers
• e.g. all, some, many, most, few

6
More constituents of noun phrases

• adjective phrases
• e.g. the very red bicycle
• possessives
• Data
• the bishop's residences
• a singer's vocal cords
• the new committee's duties
• noun phrases in determiner position
• Note the apostrophe

7
Representing the structure of possessives
Possessive
Noun phrase
's/'
8
More constituents of noun phrases

• prepositional phrases
• e.g. the man in the moon

9
Pronouns

• have noun phrases as antecedents.
• e.g. The snake slid though the grass as it tried
  to escape.
• Pronouns agree with their antecedents in number
  and gender.
• e.g. grandmother ... she
• uncle Jim ... he
• the lawnmower ... it
• the team ... they
• Pronouns take the case of their place in the
  syntax of the sentence.
• e.g. He saw her bike near them.