_{Syntactic Theory}

The Noun Phrase (NP)

The distribution of the noun phrase

An NP can occur

• As the subject, i.e. at the beginning of a sentence before a verb as in: __ worked.
• As the direct object, i.e. after a transitive verb as in: Chris met/experienced __ yesterday.
• Following a preposition, as in: Pat talked about __ .
• In front of the possessive 's, i.e. in: __'s car broke.

An NP can be substituted by a personal pronoun (I, she, him, it, ...)

The internal structure of a noun phrase

• An NP must contain a noun
• An NP can contain:
  • exactly one determiner at the beginning of the NP
  • an arbitrary number of adjectives before the N
  • an arbitrary number of preposition phrases (PP) after the N
  • one or more sentences at the end of the NP
• This is summarized in the following phrase structure rule: NP -> (Det) A^* N PP^* S^*
• Example 1: A complex NP
  

            ______NP___________
           /   /  |             \
         /   /    |         _____S______
       /   /      |        /            \
     Det   A      N      /                \
      |    |      |    /____________________\
     the famous actor who played in ''High Noon''.
  

• Example 2: An NP consisting exclusively of a proper name

                NP
                |
                N
                |
               Pat

More Internal Structure for the NP

Example 1 above gives a flat internal structure for the NP. Constituent tests show that there is more structure:

• Pronominalization: one is a pro-form for a partial NP, usually called N' .
  Example: the brilliant student of English
  • him as a pro-form for NP:
    I met [NP: the brilliant student of English], and you met him, too.
  • one as a pro-form for N':
    I met [NP: the brilliant [N': student of English]] and you met the less talented one.
    (one refers to student of English)
  • one as a pro-form for N':
    I met [NP: a [N': brilliant [N': student of English]]] and you met the same one.
    (one refers to brilliant student of English)
  • In this NP, A and N don't combine directly:
    *I met the [brilliant student] of English and you met the one of physics.
• Movement: An N' can be preposed in a though-construction.
  Example: Though Pat is an excellent writer, she did not win the Pulitzer price.
  • [Excellent writer] though Pat is, she did not win the Pulitzer price.
  • *An excellent though Pat is writer, she did not win the Pulitzer price.

           __NP__
          /      \    
         /   ____N'____
        /   /          \
       /   /    _______PP________
      /   /    /                 \
    Det  N    /                   \
     |   |   /_____________________\ 
     a novel about  a  young magician

          _NP_
         /    \
        /    _N'_
       /    /    \
      /    /     N'
     /    /      |
    Det  A       N
     |   |       |
    no   new furniture

          NP
         /  \
        /   _N'_
       /   /    \
      /   N'     \
     /    |    __PP__
    Det   N   /      \
     |    |  /________\ 
    the book on my desk

Example 6: An NP with only a proper name
(there is no N' level, because proper names don't allow for adjectives or PPs.)

      NP
      |
      N
      |
    Chris

Example 7: An NP with only a count noun or a mass noun
(there is always an N' level, because there could be an adjective or a PP, and the one-test works.)

      NP            NP
      |             |
      N'            N'
      |             |
      N             N
      |             |
    books       furniture

When there is an adjective before the noun and a (modifying) PP following the noun, a structural ambiguity arises:
the nice student from England

• I met [the [nice student] from England] and you met the one from France.
• I met [the nice [student from England] ] and you met the arrogant one.

            _NP_
           /    \
          /   ___N'___
         /   /        \
        /   /      ____N'_____
       /   /      /           \
      /   /      /        _____S______
     /   /      /        /            \
   Det   A      N      /                \
    |    |      |    /____________________\
   the famous actor who played in ''High Noon''.

Read further on the other major phrases, VP, AP, PP.

Related exercises:

• Internal structure of the NP

Categoriex: Glossary