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

INTRODUCTION

167

Structure

167a

Noun phrases consist minimally of a noun or pronoun, which acts as the head of

the noun phrase. The head may be accompanied by dependent elements before or

after it. The following are examples of noun phrases; heads are in green, words in

black are dependent elements:

music

summer

we

him

a 

dog

the old 

man

that 

table

in the corner

a nice 

day

at the beach

the 

sofa

we bought in the sale

Û

also 176–196 Nouns and determiners; 197–212 Pronouns

Function

167b

Noun phrases are referring expressions and are used to refer to particular

instances or general classes of people and things.

Noun phrases typically function in the clause as subjects, objects, complements

and occasionally as adjuncts: