Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

partner

with a view to marriage. 

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

The noun phrase | 331

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[small advertisement offering things for sale, etc. – magazine]

Delightful lakeside country house

hotel

with own frontage, jetty and yacht for

hire. 

[personal contact advertisement – newspaper]

Slightly balding but fit and active

divorcee

with two young children, nine and

seven, seeks sport-loving, energetic

companion

. 

Û

236–241 Adjectives and adjective phrases

Û

also 82–91 Introduction to grammar and spoken English

A–Z

55 Of 

Post-head elements enable the user to define and specify things more precisely. In

written styles, post-head elements help to create a characteristic descriptive style

of the kind found, for example, in guide books and in promotional information

about services and products. In the following examples post-head elements are in

bold and the head is in green:

[text on a cereal packet; the cereal is called Fruitful]

Fruitful from Shredded Wheat

Full of Fruit

Enjoy succulent 

sultanas

combined with plump raisins dried in the Californian

sun and blended with hazelnut pieces. Crunchy 

slices

of golden banana, mixed

with juicy pieces of papaya and tender toasted coconut. Discover the tempting

taste

that’s bursting with delicious fruits and crunchy wholewheat goodness. 

[estate agent’s particulars]

Imaginatively restored Georgian terraced 

house

with fitted kitchen leading to a

spacious patio and a large vegetable garden. 

In technical and scientific English, heavy use of post-head elements involving

clauses and prepositional phrases serves to elaborate and package a lot of

information within the noun phrase:

[an advertisement which in this case sells the product it advertises by means 

of a more technical register]

The armchair design allows infinite 

combinations

of seat tilt, leg support 

and back rest angle, providing every facility from fireside chair to full-length

single bed. 

332 | The noun phrase

Cambridge Grammar of English

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