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

Û

Gradable

Non-restrictive relative clause

Û

Non-defining relative clause

Non-standard A term that refers to the use of grammar, vocabulary and

pronunciation that does not conform to the norms used by educated native

speakers of the standard variety. An example is the use of ain’t as a negative

contraction in speech:

I know something. That 

ain’t the answer. 

(standard form: isn’t)

Non-tensed Any verb form which does not indicate present or past tense, e.g. the

-ing form or the infinitive. 

Non-tensed is contrasted with tensed.

912 | Glossary

Cambridge Grammar of English

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Noun (proper, common, concrete, abstract), noun phrase Refers to words

which denote classes and categories of things in the world, including people,

animals, inanimate things, places, events, qualities and states (accident, cat,

club, competition

). 

A noun phrase has a noun or pronoun as its head. Noun phrases can act as

the subject (

S

), object (

O

) or predicative complement (

C

) of a clause: