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Definition 2024


noun_phrase

noun phrase

See also: noun-phrase

English

Noun

noun phrase (plural noun phrases)

  1. (grammar) A phrase that can serve as the subject or the object of a verb; it is usually headed by a noun, (including pronouns), with any associated dependents such as determiners or modifiers.
Examples
  • The term “noun phrase” itself
  • “Fred” in “Fred fell asleep at the keyboard.”
  • “The day Fred . . . keyboard” in “The day Fred fell asleep at the keyboard was very hot, and he had had too much to drink at lunchtime.”
Additional examples
  • banana (a noun)
  • big bananas (an adjective 'big', and a plural noun)
  • a big banana (an article 'a', an adjective and a singular noun)
  • this big banana (a determiner 'this', an adjective and a singular noun)
  • a very big banana (an article, an adverb 'very', defining an adjective, and a singular noun)
  • a very big banana that tastes great (an article, an adverb defining an adjective, and a singular noun; followed by a relative clause made up of a relative pronoun 'that', a verb 'tastes', and an adjective 'great')

Translations

See also