Noun Phrases in English Grammar

What is Noun Phrase: Definition and Meaning

A noun phrase is a group of two or more words that work together like a noun. Just like a noun, a noun phrase can be the subject or object in a sentence. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a noun phrase as a word or group of words that acts like a noun in a sentence, either as a subject, object, complement, or the object of a preposition. The Cambridge Dictionary says a noun phrase is a group of words that function together as a noun. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a noun phrase is made up of a noun and its modifiers or determiners, and it can serve as the subject, object, or any other noun-like element in a sentence.

How to Identify Noun Phrase?

Now that you understand what a noun phrase is, finding one in a sentence should be easy. There's no strict rule that a noun phrase must contain a noun; it just needs to act like a noun in the sentence. Also, remember that a sentence can have more than one noun phrase.

Understanding the different ways a noun phrase can be formed will help you even more. So, check out the following points to see how noun phrases can be put together.

Elements of a Noun Phrase

A noun phrase can include different combinations, such as:

• A noun, a conjunction, and another noun

• A gerund and a noun

• An article, an adjective, and a noun

• An article, a noun, and a prepositional phrase

• A determiner and a noun

These aren't the only possible elements of a noun phrase. For example, an adverb paired with an adjective and a noun, along with other combinations, can also form a noun phrase.

Here’s a quick look at what each of these components is:

• A noun is a word that names a person, place, animal, thing, or idea.

• A conjunction is a word that connects two or more words, phrases, or clauses.

• An article, like ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’, is used to modify nouns.

• An adjective is a word that gives more details about a noun or pronoun.

• A gerund is a word made by adding ‘ing’ to a verb, turning it into a noun.

• A prepositional phrase is a group of words starting with a preposition followed by an object.

• A determiner is a word that describes a noun, like this, that, these, and those.

Noun Phrase Examples With Answers

Look at the sentences below and see how noun phrases are used. Notice how different parts work together to act like a single noun.

Examples of Noun Phrases with Two Nouns Connected by a Conjunction

1. The cat and the dog

2. A book and a pen

3. My brother and sister

4. The teacher and the student

5. A house and a garden

The sentences above show noun phrases (highlighted in bold) that include a noun, a conjunction, and another noun. These noun phrases act as the subject in each sentence.

1. My brother and sister are going to the park.

2. The dog and the cat were playing in the yard.

3. John and his friend went to the movie together.

4. The teacher and the students discussed the lesson.

5. A pen and a notebook were on the desk.

In the sentences above, the noun phrases (in bold) that include a noun, a conjunction, and another noun act as the object in each sentence.

Examples of Noun Phrases with a Gerund and a Noun

1. Baking cookies is my favourite hobby.

2. Reading books improves your knowledge.

3. Swimming laps keeps me fit.

4. Playing guitar relaxes him.

5. Painting landscapes is her passion.

Examples of Noun Phrases with an Article, Adjective, and Noun

1. The big house is at the end of the street.

2. She drove a red car to the party.

3. The tall tree provides shade in the summer.

4. He found an old book in the attic.

5. The friendly dog greeted everyone at the park.

Here are sentences using noun phrases that contain an article, a noun, and a prepositional phrase:

1. I found the book on the shelf very interesting.

2. A cat under the table was quietly napping.

3. He parked the car in the garage before it started to rain.

4. She picked an apple in the basket for her lunch.

5. The flowers by the window are blooming beautifully.

Examples of Noun Phrases with a Determiner and a Noun

1. The car is parked outside.

2. A dog barked loudly in the yard.

3. This book is really interesting.

4. That house on the corner is for sale.

5. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Here are 20 sentences of Noun Phrase with Answers

1. The tall man walked into the room.

Noun Phrase: The tall man

2. She bought a new phone yesterday.

Noun Phrase: a new phone

3. The red apple fell from the tree.

Noun Phrase: The red apple

4. An old friend called me last night.

Noun Phrase: An old friend

5. He gave the small dog a treat.

Noun Phrase: the small dog

6. This blue car belongs to my neighbor.

Noun Phrase: This blue car

7. The large painting was hung on the wall.

Noun Phrase: The large painting

8. She is wearing a beautiful dress.

Noun Phrase: a beautiful dress

9. Those children are playing in the park.

Noun Phrase: Those children

10. My favorite book is on the shelf.

Noun Phrase: My favorite book

11. The sunny beach is perfect for a vacation.

Noun Phrase: The sunny beach

12. He carried a heavy suitcase.

Noun Phrase: a heavy suitcase

13. That old building is being renovated.

Noun Phrase: That old building

14. Her new shoes are very stylish.

Noun Phrase: Her new shoes

15. The delicious cake was baked by my mom.

Noun Phrase: The delicious cake

16. A small bird flew into the window.

Noun Phrase: A small bird

17. The broken chair needs to be fixed.

Noun Phrase: The broken chair

18. My younger brother is studying abroad.

Noun Phrase: My younger brother

19. The old train station was demolished last year.

Noun Phrase: The old train station

20. This beautiful garden is well-maintained.

Noun Phrase: This beautiful garden

Noun Phrase Structure:

A noun phrase is a group of words that work together as a noun in a sentence. It usually has a main noun and can include other words that describe or modify the noun. Here’s a simple structure of a noun phrase:

1. Determiner: A word like "a," "an," "the," "my," "his," "this," or "those" that comes before the noun.

Example: The cat, My friend

2. Adjective(s): Words that describe the noun.

Example: The big cat, A red apple

3. Noun (Head Noun): The main word in the phrase that represents the person, place, thing, or idea.

Example: The big cat, A red apple

4. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words starting with a preposition (like "in," "on," "with") that gives more information about the noun.

Example: The cat on the mat, A book on the shelf

Test Your Knowledge on Noun Phrase

Task 1: Identify the Noun Phrase

Read the following sentences and underline the noun phrase.

1. The tall tree swayed in the wind.

2. A beautiful painting hung on the wall.

3. The little boy with the blue hat is my brother.

4. She bought a new dress for the party.

5. The large dog in the yard barked loudly.

Task 2: Create Noun Phrases

Given a noun, create a noun phrase by adding a determiner and an adjective.

1. Noun: cat

2. Noun: car

3. Noun: book

4. Noun: house

5. Noun: apple

Task 3: Expand the Noun Phrase

Take the simple noun phrases below and expand them by adding more descriptive words (adjectives, prepositional phrases).

1. The dog

2. A house

3. My friend

4. The car

5. An apple

Task 4: Match the Noun Phrases

Match each noun phrase to the sentence it belongs in.

1. The small red ball

2. A big, old tree

3. His new bicycle

4. The bright, shiny star

5. An interesting book

Sentences:

1. __________ was a great read.

2. __________ fell from the sky.

3. __________ rolled across the floor.

4. __________ stood in the middle of the park.

5. __________ is parked outside.

Task 5: Combine Sentences Using Noun Phrases

Combine the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using a noun phrase.

1. The boy is wearing a red shirt. The boy is my cousin.

2. The car is new. The car is parked in the driveway.

3. The book is interesting. The book is on the shelf.

4. The cat is sleeping. The cat has a white fur.

5. The girl is smiling. The girl has long hair.

Task 6: Identify Components of Noun Phrases

In the following sentences, identify and label the determiner, adjective, and noun in each noun phrase.

1. The big brown dog ran across the yard.

2. A small, shiny coin was found under the couch.

3. That old book on the table belongs to my grandfather.

4. My favorite teacher gave me a new assignment.

5. Those colorful flowers in the garden are beautiful.

Task 7: Write Sentences Using Noun Phrases

Write five sentences using noun phrases that include a determiner, an adjective, and a noun.

Example: The tall man in the blue shirt is my father.

These tasks will help students practise identifying, creating, and expanding noun phrases, which will reinforce their understanding of how noun phrases work in sentences.

Here You Go—Check if Your Answers Match the Ones Below!

Task 1: Identify the Noun Phrase

1. The tall tree swayed in the wind.

2. A beautiful painting hung on the wall.

3. The little boy with the blue hat is my brother.

4. She bought a new dress for the party.

5. The large dog in the yard barked loudly.

Task 2: Create Noun Phrases

1. The fluffy cat

2. A shiny car

3. The old book

4. A big house

5. An green apple

Task 3: Expand the Noun Phrase

1. The playful brown dog with a wagging tail

2. A large, cozy house on the hill

3. My friendly, outgoing friend from school

4. The sleek, black car in the driveway

5. An juicy, red apple on the table

Task 4: Match the Noun Phrases

1. The small red ball rolled across the floor.

2. A big, old tree stood in the middle of the park.

3. His new bicycle is parked outside.

4. The bright, shiny star fell from the sky.

5. An interesting book was a great read.

Task 5: Combine Sentences Using Noun Phrases

1. The boy wearing a red shirt is my cousin.

2. The new car parked in the driveway is mine.

3. The interesting book on the shelf is worth reading.

4. The cat with white fur is sleeping.

5. The girl with long hair is smiling.

Task 6: Identify Components of Noun Phrases

1. The (Determiner) big brown (Adjectives) dog (Noun) ran across the yard.

2. A (Determiner) small, shiny (Adjectives) coin (Noun) was found under the couch.

3. That (Determiner) old (Adjective) book (Noun) on the table belongs to my grandfather.

4. My (Determiner) favorite (Adjective) teacher (Noun) gave me a new assignment.

5. Those (Determiner) colorful (Adjective) flowers (Noun) in the garden are beautiful.

Task 7: Write Sentences Using Noun Phrases

1. The noisy children in the park were playing soccer.

2. A bright star in the sky caught my attention.

3. My old bicycle is still in good condition.

4. The broken chair needs to be fixed.

5. An interesting article on the website was very informative.

Takeaways from This Page

• Students can understand the basic structure of a noun phrase, which can include a determiner, adjective(s), and a noun, and sometimes additional elements like prepositional phrases.

• Gain the ability to identify noun phrases in sentences by looking for the main noun and the words that modify or describe it.

• Learn that a noun phrase is a group of words centred around a noun, often including determiners, adjectives, and other modifiers.

• Learn about common mistakes in forming noun phrases, such as incorrect word order or missing determiners, and how to avoid them.

• Learn how to create noun phrases by combining nouns with determiners, adjectives, and other modifiers to add detail and specificity to your writing.