Noun Phrase (NP)

As we've seen, a noun phrase has a noun as its Head. Determiners and
adjective phrases usually constitute the pre-Head string:

[NP the children]

[NP happy children]
[NP the happy children]

In theory at least, the post-Head string in an NP can be indefinitely long:

[NP the dog that chased the cat that killed the mouse that ate the cheese that was made
from the milk that came from the cow that...]

Fortunately, they are rarely as long as this in real use.

The Head of an NP does not have to be a common or a proper noun. Recall

that pronouns are a subclass of nouns. This means that pronouns, too, can
function as the Head of an NP:

[NP I] like coffee

The waitress gave [NP me] the wrong dessert
[NP This] is my car

If the Head is a pronoun, the NP will generally consist of the Head only. This
is because pronouns do not take determiners or adjectives, so there will be no
pre-Head string. However, with some pronouns, there may be a post-Head
string:

[NP Those who arrive late] cannot be admitted until the interval

Similarly, numerals, as a subclass of nouns, can be the Head of an NP:

[NP Two of my guests] have arrived

[NP The first to arrive] was John

Nouns as Predicate Nominatives

The second grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
predicate nominative. Predicate nominatives are defined as nouns and noun phrases
that follow a copular or linking verb such as be and become and refer back to the
subject. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function as
predicate nominatives:

• My grandfather is a farmer.
• Our favorite pets are dogs.
• The woman whom you are looking for is she.
Nouns as Direct Objects

The third grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the direct
object. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function as
direct objects:

• The children ate all the cookies.

• My professor recommended an extremely captivating
book.
• The woman has always hated mice.

Nouns as Object Complements

The fourth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
object complement. Object complements are defined as nouns, pronouns, noun
phrases, adjectives, and adjective phrases that directly follow and modify the direct
object. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function as
object complements:

Read on
• The Grammatical Indirect Object in English
• The Form-Function Method for Teaching Grammar
• English Adjectives and Adjective Phrases

• We consider our puppy our baby.

• My aunt calls my uncle sweetheart.
• America recently elected Barack Obama president.

Nouns as Indirect Objects

The fifth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
indirect object. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function
as indirect objects:

• My husband bought me flowers.

• The child drew his mother a picture.
• The salesman sold the companynew computers.

Nouns as Prepositional Complements

The sixth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
prepositional complement. Prepositional complements are defined as the word or
phrase that functions as the object of a preposition. For example, the following
italicized nouns and noun phrases function as prepositional complements:

• My husband bought flowers for me.

 • The students studied during their spring break.
• Because of the lengthy delay, we missed our flight.

Nouns as Noun Phrase Modifiers

The seventh grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
noun phrase modifier. Noun phrase modifiers are defined as words and phrases that
describe a noun or noun phrase. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun
phrases function as noun phrase modifiers:

• The child actor won an award.

• The carpenter fixed the broken table leg.
• We reserved twenty hotel rooms.

Nouns as Possessive Modifiers

The eighth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
possessive modifier. Possessive modifiers consist of a noun or noun phrase and the
possessive clitic (apostrophe s or s apostrophe) and describe another noun or noun
phrase. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function as
possessive modifiers:

• My brother's apartment is small.

• The food I spilled is the dog's.
• The librarians' report was informative.

Nouns as Appositives

The ninth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
appositive. Appositives are defined as nouns and noun phrases that modify or explain
another noun or noun phrase. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun
phrases function as appositives:

• My grandfather the farmer bought more farm land.

• The teacher, my uncle, assigns a lot of homework.
• The musician Stevie Nicks is a singer in Fleetwood
Mac.

Nouns as Adverbials

The tenth grammatical function that nouns and noun phrases can perform is the
adverbial. Adverbials are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that modify an entire
clause by providing information such as time, place, manner, condition, reason, or
purpose. For example, the following italicized nouns and noun phrases function as
adverbials:

• Today the children woke up early.

 • Yesterday the children slept in late.
• We decided to go home.

The ten functions of nouns and noun phrases in English are subject, predicate
nominative, direct object, object complement, indirect object, prepositional
complement, noun phrase modifier, possessive modifier, appositive, and adverbial.
Both native speakers and ESL students must learn the ten functions in order to
properly and fully use the English language in both spoken and written forms.

Sources

Hopper, Paul J. A Short Course in Grammar. W.W. Norton & Company: New York,
1999.

Huddleston, Rodney. Introduction to the Grammar of English. Cambridge University

Press: Cambridge, 1984.

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