Adjective and Noun Phrases: Structure
The Adjective Phrase (AP)
Examples:
- Impertinent (adjective alone)
- Very impertinent (intensifier + adjective)
- Unaware of any wrongdoing (adjective + PP)
- Disappointed that someone had lied (adjective + clause)
- Afraid to make a move (adjective + infinitival)
- Fully aware of his surroundings (adverb + adjective + PP)
Complex Noun Phrases (NPs): Single-Word Premodifier + Head
| Form of Premodifier | Example |
|---|---|
| Article | The wombats escaped. |
| Adjective Phrase | Strong winds. |
| Demonstrative Pronoun | That vase is valuable. |
| Genitive NP | Sheila’s serve is powerful. |
| Genitive Pronoun | Her serve is powerful. |
| Noun | Metal plates shielded the instruments. |
| Indefinite Pronoun/Quantifier | Some survivors remained. |
| Wh-word | Which lobster do you want? |
| Numeral | Seven boxes fell. |
| Ordinal | Second thoughts assailed us. |
| Quantifier | Several vats of beer. |
| Negative | No accidents were reported. |
Examples of Generic and Non-Generic NPs:
- Cats are skilled predators. (generic, indefinite)
- A cat is a skilled predator. (generic, indefinite)
- A cat is asleep on the table. (non-generic and indefinite)
- The cat is asleep. (non-generic and definite)
- The cat is a skilled predator. (ambiguous: generic or non-generic and definite)
Complex NPs: Multiple Premodifiers
Examples:
- The two culprits (article + numeral)
- Those metal plates (demonstrative + noun)
- Several other candidates (quantifier + indefinite)
- One such oddity (numeral + indefinite)
- A second chance (article + ordinal)
Complex NPs: Phrasal Premodifiers
Examples:
- Genitive NP (GenNP): This friend’s hobby is knitting.
- Adjective phrase (AP): Very old memories return easily.
- Verbal phrase (VblP): Carelessly organized meetings annoy everyone.
Complex NPs: The Range of Postmodifiers
| Postmodifier Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Adjective Phrase (AP) | [Anyone fond of kumquats] should buy this cookbook. |
| Appositive NP (AppNP) | [His nominee, an infamous scoundrel,] is unlikely to be elected. |
| Relative Clause (RC) | [The contestant who guesses the title] will win a trip to Tahiti. |
| Appositive Relative (AppRC) | [G.W. Bush, who is the 43rd President of the US,] is only 60. |
| Verbal Phrase (VblP) |
[The contestant guessing the title] will win a vacation in Tahiti. [The person seated at the president’s right] is her bodyguard. [The player to watch] is Tzrdsky |
Verb Phrase (VP): Head + Object(s)/Complement
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Direct Object | The Vikings demanded [tribute (NP)]. |
| Indirect Object | Waldo gave [his sister (NP)] a dictionary. |
| PP Complement | Waldo gave a dictionary [to his sister (PP)]. |
| Subject Complement | Freud was [a prude (NP)]/[prudish (AP)]. |
| Object Complement | I consider Jung [a quack (NP)]/[unreliable (AP)]. |
| Sentence Complement | I realize [that tests should be easier (S)]. |
Modifiers of Verbs (Adverbial Clauses)
| Semantic Role | Examples |
|---|---|
| Time |
He left early. We left on Monday. I’ll leave when the moon turns green. |
| Place |
She stopped there. She relaxed on the sofa. She stopped where the victim was found. |
| Manner |
The troupe exited gracefully. The troupe exited with grace. |
| Reason |
He left out of spite. He left because he was miffed. |
| Purpose | He left to milk the cow. |
Complex VPs: Combinations of Functions
Examples:
- She has been speaking for three hours. (auxiliaries + head + PP-modifier)
- Scott offered Zelda a ride since her car was out of gas. (head + indirect object + direct object + adverbial clause modifier)
- Hortense never becomes angry. (adverb phrase + head + AP-subject complement)
- The remains will be shipped to Cleveland on Wednesday. (auxiliaries + head + PP-modifier + PP-modifier)