Structure, Writing: Noun Phrase – SS1 English Lesson Note (First Term)

A noun phrase is a group of words built around a noun, called the headword, and it works as one noun in a sentence.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define a noun phrase and give examples;
2. name the parts of a noun phrase;
3. form noun phrases with the definite article “the”;
4. define the subject and the object of a sentence;
5. identify a noun phrase used as a subject or an object in a sentence.

What is a noun phrase?

A noun phrase is a group of words that has a noun as its headword.

• Headword: the main noun in the group, which the other words describe or point to.
• One unit: the whole group does the work of a single noun in a sentence.
• No verb of its own: a noun phrase is a group of words, not a full sentence.

Examples:

• a heavy container: the headword is “container”.
• a big bag: the headword is “bag”.
• an empty treasury: the headword is “treasury”.
• my sister’s old handbag: the headword is “handbag”.
• the last drop of blood: the headword is “drop”.

What are the parts of a noun phrase?

A noun phrase has a headword and may have words before it or after it.

• Headword: the noun the phrase is built around, such as “container”.
• Determiner: a word before the noun that points to it, such as the, a, an, my.
• Modifier: a word, often an adjective, that describes the noun, such as heavy, big, old.
• Qualifier: a group of words after the noun that adds detail, such as “of blood”.

How is a noun phrase formed with the definite article “the”?

A noun phrase can be formed by attaching the definite article “the” to a noun.

• Definite article: in English, the definite article is the word “the”.
• Easiest method: this is one of the easiest ways of forming a noun phrase.

Steps:

1. Choose a noun, for example “man”.
2. Place “the” before it.
3. Read the group as one unit: “the man”.

Examples:

• the man: “the” + man.
• the book: “the” + book.
• the nation: “the” + nation.
• the rich: “the” + rich, which names a group of people.
• the glory: “the” + glory.

What are the functions of a noun phrase?

A noun phrase functions as a single noun in a sentence, so it can act as a subject or an object.

1. Subject: the noun phrase tells who or what performs the action.
2. Object: the noun phrase tells who or what receives the action.

What is the subject of a sentence?

The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb.

Examples:

1. Auta bought a new house. (Auta is the subject because he performed the action of buying. He is a single noun.)
2. They respect their teachers. (“They” is the subject.)

Noun phrase as the subject of a sentence

1. Musa makes good benches. (Who makes good benches? Musa. Musa is the subject of the sentence, and he is a single noun.)
2. The carpenter makes good benches. (Who makes good benches? The carpenter. “The carpenter” is the subject of the sentence, and it is a noun phrase.)

What is the object of a sentence?

The object of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that is acted upon, that is, the one that receives the action of the verb.

Examples:

1. My mother cooked rice. (The rice which was cooked is the object of the sentence.)
2. John killed a snake. (The snake that was killed is the object of the sentence.)

Noun phrase as the object of a sentence

1. Jide married Zainab. (Who was married? Zainab. She is the object, and she is a single noun.)
2. Jide married the beautiful girl. (Who was married? The beautiful girl. She is the object, and “the beautiful girl” is a noun phrase.)

What is the difference between a single noun and a noun phrase?

A single noun is one word that names a person, place or thing, while a noun phrase is a group of words built around a noun.

How do you identify a noun phrase as subject or object?

Find the verb first, then ask who or what performs the action and who or what receives it.

1. Find the verb in the sentence.
2. Ask “Who or what performed the verb?” The answer is the subject.
3. Ask “Who or what received the action?” The answer is the object.
4. Check whether the answer is one word or a group of words around a noun.
5. If it is a group of words, it is a noun phrase.

Worked example: The old man sold a red car.

• Verb: sold.
• Subject: “The old man” is a noun phrase, with “man” as the headword.
• Object: “a red car” is a noun phrase, with “car” as the headword.

Evaluation

1. What is a noun phrase?
2. Form noun phrases by attaching “the” to these nouns: man, book, nation.
3. In the sentence “The carpenter makes good benches”, identify the noun phrase and state its function.
4. In the sentence “My mother cooked rice”, identify the subject and the object.
5. In “my sister’s old handbag”, name the headword.

Assignment

Read pages 2 and 3 of the New Oxford Secondary English Course and do the following:

1. Identify ten (10) single nouns.
2. Identify any three (3) noun phrases.
3. Study the sentence “The lucky fisherman wins a prize.” Then answer these questions about the expression “The lucky fisherman”:
   1. What grammatical name is given to the expression?
   2. What is its grammatical function?

Narrative essay: Write a narrative essay on the story of the Governor who stole millions from the state treasury.