What are noun phrases in English grammar?

Noun phrases, which are also called nominal phrases, are defined as groups of words whose main characteristic is to include a noun or the subject of the sentence. In grammar the nominal term is a category that describes the use of parts of speech in a sentence. Specifically, the nominal definition is a noun, noun phrase, or any word or group of words that functions as a noun. The term comes from the Latin nomine , which means “name”. Nominals can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a sentence, or the nominative predicate that follows a linking or binding verb such as be, become, seem, and explains what the subject is. Nominals are used to give more detail than a simple noun.

Key notes on noun phrases in English grammar

• Nominal  is a part of speech for words or groups of words that function as nouns in a sentence.
• Nominals can perform any grammatical function, like nouns. They can be a subject, an object or a nominal predicate.
• Noun phrases or noun groups give more detail about a noun.
• Noun phrases can contain other parts of speech, such as prepositions, articles, adjectives, and others.

What is a nominal word?

As a part of speech, nominal describes words or groups of words that work together as a noun, but add more detail and depth to the sentence. Words included in a nominal grouping give more references to the noun (the main word), making it specific. Noun phrases and clauses can include other parts of speech, such as articles, prepositions, and adjectives.

For example, the author Geoffrey Leech in his Grammar Glossary indicates that in the noun phrase  nice cup of tea ( “a nice cup of tea”), it makes sense to include nice (“nice” ) since it is a modifier of “a cup of tea”. tea”, instead of just using the noun cup ( “cup” ) . In this sentence, “nice cup of tea” is nominal; consequently, it provides more description than just saying “cup.” Using a nominal gives the reader a fuller idea of ​​what the writer is trying to convey.

Noun Phrases in English

When constructing a noun phrase, the title of the phrase is either a noun or pronoun, although it may not always be at the beginning of the phrase, as one might think just by looking at the term. Headings can have articles, pronouns, adjectives, or even other phrases before them, and can be followed by prepositional phrases, subordinate clauses, and more.

Author G. David Morley gives these examples of English noun phrases. The keywords are in bold , and also their translation into Spanish.

• This  Russian course _  _  _
• My  most  enjoyable climb _ 
•  Her sister ‘s  new  bicycle _
• All  of  our  recent holidays
• A  voice from  the  past _ 
• The  song that   Jill  sang _
• The  secretary  general (The  secretary  general)

In all of these examples, the nominal gives more context to the noun. In the first example it is not just about a course, but about that concrete and specific Russian course. The same happens with climbing, which is more than just a climb, because it was my most fun climb, the one I enjoyed the most. And it’s much more than a bike, it’s his sister’s new bike.

To illustrate how nominals in English grammar can function in a sentence just like nouns in different parts of speech, examples of how to use a nominal phrase are given, in this case it is “the attorney general”:

• The attorney general is running for re-election . “Attorney General is running for re-election”. (It’s the theme).
• We took our concerns to the attorney general . “We presented our concerns to the attorney general.” (It is the indirect object).
• A bulletproof slime took the attorney general to the conference . “A bulletproof limousine brought the attorney general to the conference.” (It is the direct object).
• The staff members went to lunch with the attorney general . “The staff members went to eat with the attorney general. (It is the object of a preposition).

Various famous authors have used noun phrases in their works. For example, using a version of the noun phrase, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin wrote a book titled Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace: One School at a Time . The book is about one man’s attempt to promote peace by sharing “three cups of tea” (along with thoughts of friendship and peace) with various people in Pakistan. In this title, Three Cups of Tea , it is the noun phrase. It was not just one cup, but three cups of tea that Mortenson shared with others.

nominal clauses

Noun clauses are dependent clauses. They cannot stand alone as a sentence, and contain a verb.

Noun clauses often start with words like  what  (or other  wh – words  ) or  that. These words are called relative clauses. Let us study, for example, the phrase « He can go  wherever he wants »(« He can go wherever he wants »). The clause begins with a  wh – word  , contains a verb, and functions entirely as a noun. It can be said that it functions as a noun because it could be replaced with a noun or pronoun. For example, you could say: « He can go  home , » « He can go to  Paris , » or « He can go there ” (“You can go home ”, “You can go to Paris  ”, or “You can go  there ”).

• I believe that grammar  is easier than it seems . The noun clause acts as an object, as in ” I believe  it .”
• What I had for lunch was delicious  . The noun clause acts as the subject, as in ” The soup was delicious ” (”  The soup  was delicious”). 
• Beth is  whom I was referring to . The clause acts in this sentence as a nominative predicate. First, it is a  wh  ( whom ) clause. Second has a subject (Beth) and a binding verb ( is , from the verb to be ). Third, information about the subject is completed, as in Beth is she or She is Beth (“Beth is she” or “She is Beth”).

nominalization

The act of creating a nominal from a verb, an adjective or other elements, including another noun, is known as nominalization. For example, let’s take the word blogosphere (“blogósfera”, could be translated into Spanish) ) . It is a new noun, created from another ( blog ) plus the addition of a suffix. It is easy to create (nominal) nouns in English from other words. Even adding the gerund suffix, –ing , to a verb to make nominalization, such as fir ing  comes from the word  fire. Or adding a suffix to an adjective, such as adding the suffix ness to lovely to create the word  loveliness .

Fountain

Mortenson, Greg. “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time”. David Oliver Relin, Penguin Books, January 30, 2007.