Part 3 Nouns and Noun Groups
Noun Group Overview
Definition
Nouns and pronouns sometimes stand by themselves, for example as the subject or object of a verb:
Apples are delicious, but I prefer oranges.
However, nouns can also be expanded with words that add information or make the noun more specific. The noun group or noun phrase contains all the words that are closely connected to the head noun.
Noun groups (the term used in functional linguistics and the WIDA Framework) function as a single unit: they can be a subject, object, or object of a preposition. Here for example is the same noun group in different ways:
Several hungry actors paused for lunch. (subject)
I saw several hungry actors. (direct object)
Lunch was served to several hungry actors. (object of a preposition)
Noun groups in English can become very long, especially in academic texts, which is a common source of difficulty for learners. In these sentences, the head noun, organisms, is expanded into increasingly longer noun groups to make the definition of bacteria ever more specific and technical:
Bacteria are organisms.
Bacteria are small organisms.
Bacteria are ubiquitous one-celled organisms.
Bacteria constitute a large domain of prokaryotic micro-organisms a few micrometers in length that were among the first life forms to appear on earth. (Source: Wikipedia)
Form
The order of elements inside noun groups is quite rigid: we can say a big metal sculpture but not *big a sculpture metal. The typical order and names of the constituents of a noun group are shown in the table. Users select from the different “slots” based on the meaning of the noun group and the type of head noun (count or noncount, singular or plural).
|
Quantifier |
Determiner |
Adjectives |
Noun modifier |
HEAD NOUN |
Post- modifiers |
|
|
a |
long |
|
time |
|
|
all |
the |
beautiful |
sea |
creatures |
|
|
|
the |
|
|
end |
of the day |
|
|
this |
English |
grammar |
book |
that has many exercises |
|
many |
|
dirty |
|
plates |
covered with food |
For reference here are definitions of the various constituents of a noun group:
Quantifier: a word or phrase that shows how much or how many of the head noun
Determiner: an article (a, an, the) or similar word that shows which one(s) of the head noun; other examples are demonstrative determiners (this, that, these, those), possessive determiners (my, your, his, her, our, their, its), and numerals (one, two, three).
Adjectives: describe or classify the head noun; note there is a conventional order among adjectives if two or more are used in a noun group: opinion | size | color | material – these aren’t rules, but they describe the pattern of typical use!
Noun modifier (or classifier): a noun that classifies the head noun, usually with the meaning of a category or type (e.g. sea creatures, grammar book, weather report). Note that these words occupy a similar position to adjectives, but they are still nouns! We can test by using the linking verb be (we can say the book is used but not *the book is grammar). Noun + noun patterns are highly frequent in English, especially in academic registers.
Post-modifiers: include prepositional phrases (of the day), restrictive relative clauses (that has many exercises), and reduced relative clauses (covered with food). Although they follow the head noun, they continue to restrict or specify its meaning, so we consider them part of the noun group.
Careful!
The choice of determiner and quantifier depends on whether the head noun is count or noncount, and singular or plural. For example, we can say many assignments but not *many homeworks and a book but not *an information or a* books. As discussed in another section, nouns that are noncount do not have plural forms (*homeworks).
In some languages, adjectives are post-modifiers, which may cause difficulty for some learners of English especially in the early stages (e.g. in Spanish and French, a red flower is literally translated as “a flower red”).
In some languages, adjectives agree with their head noun (e.g. in French, adjectives have an -(e)s inflection when they agree with a plural noun). English adjectives don’t inflect, with the possible exception of blond/blonde.
Function
Noun groups carry the bulk of the information in a clause, and they have many functions depending on the genre or Key Language Use of the text. Examples are listed throughout the Framework and include:
Explain: Adding details (the peaceful revolutions of the 1990s)
Explain/Argue: Classify (molecular structure, non-fiction narrative)
Inform/Explain: Introduce technical concepts (colonization, synecdoche, tone)
Explain: Provide context for phenomena or events (people living in rural areas)
Narrate: Describe characters (a quick-witted, energetic child) and places (the house on the hill across from the railroad tracks)
Inform: Add precision (the Olmec, an early major meso-American civilization)
A key feature of noun groups is their ability to pack information into fewer words. This is an important feature of sophisticated writing but can require additional instruction and effort to “unpack” into more conversational English. We can say that texts with long noun groups have higher information density. For example:
Packed: In Romeo and Juliet, the ill-fated teenage lovers face an inflexible society of powerful families and arranged political marriages. (19 words)
Unpacked: In Romeo and Juliet, two teenagers fall in love, but their relationship is fated to end badly. They face a society that is inflexible: their families are powerful, and marriages are arranged by parents for political reasons. (37 words)
Exercises
Choose a text that you taught or read recently and analyze the noun groups.
- What types of pre-modifier and post-modifier are used?
- How long are the noun groups?
- Does the text seem to have high or low information density? That is, are there many “packed” noun groups?
Further Reading
Noun phrases (LearnEnglish)
