What are Noun Phrases?
A phrase is a group of words that stand together as a single grammatical unit, typically as part of a clause or a sentence.
A phrase does not contain a subject and verb and, consequently, cannot convey a complete thought. In short, it contrasts with a clause.
A noun phrase is a group of two or more words that function together as a noun in a sentence. It consists of a noun and other words that modify/describe that noun.
examples:
"Give this flower to that girl in a red dress."
"That girl in a red dress" is a noun phrase, functioning as a single unit in this sentence.
The "girl" is the main noun while "that" and "in a red dress" are the modifiers of the main noun (girl).
The modifiers describe the girl as:
that (pronoun)- the girl is over there
in a red dress (prepositional phrase) - the girl is wearing a red dress
"My black backpack is missing."
"My black backpack" is a noun phrase. It functions as a single unit in this sentence.
The "backpack" is the main noun while "my" and "black" are the modifiers of that main noun (backpack).
The modifiers describe the backpack as:
my (pronoun) - the backpack is mine
black (adjective) - the backpack is black
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