BING 4316

English Morpho-Syntax
5th Class : September 18, 2016

Siti Marina (Irin)

ukhtuka@gmail.com

Universitas Terbuka
Korea Selatan

MODULE 5

NOUN PHRASES AND

PREDICATE NOMINAL
CONSTRUCTIONS
Keywords:
Noun phrase
Predicate nominal

GOAL
1. Know how noun phrase is constructed
2. Differentiate phrases according to their kinds:

noun phrase, adjective phrase, and adverbs

phrase
3. Use predicate nominal and related

construction

Noun and Noun Phrase

Operations-1
UNIT 1

A. Noun phrase
Simple phrases consisting of either Det+N or
just N
Types of noun
Common :
Collective :
Proper :
Abstract :

B.1. Pre-modification
Pre-modification appear before the head noun
a. Determiners

Indefinite : a/an
Definite : the
Demonstrative : this, that, these, those
Quantifiers : some, any, each, no
Possessive : my, your, her, his, its, our, your (plural), their
WH-determiners : whose, what, which
b. Genitives : this boys, Kates and act as determiner the
c. Adjective Phrases (AP) : the fat brown dog and can be

substituted by it
d. Nouns : computer game

B.2. Post-modification
Post modifiers constituents which modify
the head noun that appear after the noun
Prepositional phrase: the cat with three legs
such as in
The dog chased the cat with three legs.

C. Compounding
Compound word is a word that is formed from
two or more different words.
E.g. windshield is from wind and shield
Not every sequence of words is a compound

Classification of compound
Type

Description

Examples

Endocentric
(head + modifiers)

A+B denotes a
special kind of B

Darkroom, small talk

Exocentric
(no head of phrase)

A+B denotes a
special kind of an
unexpressed
semantic head

Skinhead, paleface

Copulative
(two semantic
heads)

A+B denotes the

sum of what A and
B denote

Bittersweet,
sleepwalk

Appositional
(two (contrary)
attributes)

A and B provide
Actor-director,
different description maidservant
for the same referent

Compounding based on word

categories
Type

Examples

Noun-noun

Computer game,
tadpole

Verb-noun

Breakfast,

D. Denominalization
To turn it into a verb, an adjective, or other
grammatical categories note: antonym of nominal [i.e.
noun-like or become noun]
Example
Possessive to make a possessive verb out of N
(noun)
Inchoative to become N
To go toward N
To be N
To be at N
There is n/there lacks N
To have plenty of N
To the afflicted m ones N
To play with N
To hunt for N
To capture N
To eat N

E. Number
Singular plural
Dog dogs

Singular Dual Trial Plural

Noun and Noun Phrase

Operations-2
UNIT 2

Phrase structure rules

A noun phrase contains a Determiner followed
by a Noun
NP Det N

A noun phrase can also contain a complement

by including an optional prepositional phrase
(PP). Not all NPs in the language have PP
inside them
NP Det N (PP)
VP V NP
VP V NP PP
VP V NP (PP)

Verb Phrases Act as

Idioms
Consists of verbs and preposition(s) different
meaning
No
.

Verb

Examples of sentences

Meaning

bear

Satish bore away many prizes at the

school sports.

won

bring

She brought up the orphan as her own

child.

take care

lay

The rebels laid down their arms.

surrender

keep

She kept on talking.

continued

take

The piano takes up too much room.

occupied

..
.

Predicate Nominal and

Related Constructions
UNIT 3

A. Predicate Nominals
Existential constructive predicate specified by

location
There is a book on the table.

Possessive clauses function

The table has a book on it.
NP NP = two NP without copula
NP copula NP (can be affix, particle or verb)

B. Related
Constructions
NP as:

S The girl dances.

O The boy wants something.
The boy wants to go home.
P He is a teacher.
The dog is inside the house.

C. Copula
Any morpheme that couples two nominal
elements in predicate nominal
construction.
No copula
NP NP
Copula
verb: be NP V NP
Pronoun NP PRO NP
invariant particle (remains the same
regardless of the person/number/gender
of S, or tense aspect)
NP COP NP
derivational operation, formed by taking
the predicate N and derivate to form
verb

D. Predicate Adjectives
(Attributive Clauses)
Identical or similar to predicate nominals, i.e.:
1. No copula
NP ADJ
2. Copula:
a. Verb

NP V ADJ
b. Pronoun
NP PRO ADJ
c. Invariant particle
NP COP ADJ
d. Derivational operation
[NP] V ADJ
3. Copula only in non-present tense
NP(COP) ADJ
Ricky is a doctor. predicate nominal
Ricky is cool.
predicate adjective

Thank you

See you next

class!
Please prepare for Module 6