Noun phrase

A noun phrase is either a single noun or pronoun or a group of words containing a noun or a pronoun that function together as a noun or pronoun, as the subject or object of a verb.
- Example of Noun phrase :
- Jhon was late.
(‘Jhon’ is the noun phrase functioning as the subject of the verb.)
- The people that I saw coming in the building at nine o’clock have just left.
(The people that I saw coming in the building at nine o’clock’ is a lengthy noun phrase, but it functions as the subject of the main verb’have just left’.)

Structures of Noun phrase :
1. Noun premodifiers – Modifiers before the noun are called pre-modifiers.
( Modify means to limit, restrict, characterize, or other wise focus meaning). All of the pre-modifiers that are present and the noun together form a noun phrase.
2. Noun Post - Modifiers – Modifiers coming after a noun are called post – modifiers.
- Noun phrase = noun + modifiers
A noun phrase consists of a noun and all of its modifiers. It can function in a sentence as a subject, object, or complement.
3. Noun phrase - pre-modifier + noun + post-modifier.
The noun together with all pre- and post-modifiers constitutes a single unit, a noun phrase that indicates the complete reference.

1. NOUN PHRASE : pre – modifiers + noun
a). White house ; here white is a premodifier and house is a noun.
b). The three old Democratic legislators ; here the three old Democratic is premodifier and legislators is a noun.


2). NOUN PHRASE : noun + post-modifiers. (The most common post-modifier is prepositional phrases).
a). The glass on the table ; here on the table is the post-modifier.
b). The boy in the store ; here in the store is the post-modifier.

3). NOUN PHRASE : pre-modifier + noun + post-modifier.
a). The boys on top of the house are ...... here The is the pre-modifier, boys is the noun, on top of the house is the post-modifier.