LANG7011
Warm-up
Traditional grammar and noun phrases
1
Based on Nelson, G., & Greenbaum, S. (2015). An introduction to English grammar. Routledge, pp. 105-106.
Exercise 3.1
Identify the noun phrases and indicate whether each noun phrase contains a pre-modifier, a postmodifier or both.
Key
Green: verbs
Red: nominal groups
1. The umbrella originated in Mesopotamia over 3000 years ago.
Which umbrella? The umbrella
Does it tell us which Mesopotamia? No, because there’s only one Mesopotamia
Which years? over 3000 years (3000 modifies the noun “years”)
2. It was an emblem [of rank and distinction].
Emblem (head noun/Thing) and we have a premodifier (an)
Which emblem? of rank and distinction (Rank and distinction are also nouns).
Of rank and distinction: a prepositional phrase being used as a postmodifier so it’s an embedded propositional phrase)
Nominal group: an emblem of rank and distinction
3. It protected Mesopotamians from the harsh sun.
Which sun? The harsh sun (so the whole thing is nominal group but we have a preposition, so it’s a prepositional phrase: “From the harsh
sun” stays at the level of the clause because it is not being used to modify a noun. It does tell us about the protection but not about
Mesopotamians, so we have a preposition “from” and a nominal group “the harsh sun”).
LANG7011
Warm-up
Traditional grammar and noun phrases
2
4. For centuries, umbrellas served primarily as a protection [from the sun].
What served? Umbrellas
Primarily: adverb
As: a preposition so we have a prepositional phrase (as a protection from the sun)
What is “as a protection from the sun” describing? (what’s it telling us about)? Is it telling us which umbrellas? No, it’s telling us how they
(umbrellas) serve, so it’s a prepositional phrase at the level of the clause because it’s telling us about the verbal group not about a noun (it’s
modifying the verb).
But we have two nominal groups here:
Which protection? A protection from the sun: [from the sun] is a nominal group postmodifying the protection, so “A protection from the sun”
is a nominal group.
What did they serve as? A protection from the sun
Which protection? A protection from the sun
5. The Greeks and Romans regarded the umbrella as effeminate II and (they) ridiculed men [[who carried umbrellas]].
Who regarded the umbrella as effeminate? The Greeks and Romans (two proper nouns joined by “and” with an article)
What did they regard? The umbrella (nominal group)
How did they regard it? As effeminate
Conjunction: and
Who: A relative pronoun
Who ridiculed men who carried umbrellas? They (The Greeks and Romans) did
Who did they ridicule? men who carried umbrellas (nominal group/post-modifier)
Which men? men who carried umbrellas
6. On the other hand, Greek women [of high rank] favoured umbrellas.
Which hand? The other hand (this is a prepositional phrase acting as a conjunction but it’s formed out of nominal group, it’s fixed)
Who favoured? Greek women of high rank
LANG7011
Warm-up
Traditional grammar and noun phrases
3
Which women? Of high rank (embedded propositional phrase postmodifying women: it tells us which women)
What did they favour? Umbrellas