Phrase Structure

Ed McCorduckEnglish 402--GrammarSUNY Cortland http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

• all phrases have a headword (a.k.a. a head)

slide 2: headword of phrases

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Grammar

• noun phrases (a.k.a. NPs)

o headword is a noun

slide 3: definition of noun phrases

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example

the dog

slide 4: examples of noun phrases

English 402:

Grammar

dog is the headword of this phrase, dog is a noun,

therefore the dog is a noun phrase

more NP examples (headword in red)

a dog

the dogs

dogs

Rover

a big dog

her very big dog

that very big, nasty dog

that very big, nasty dog in the backyard

that very big, nasty dog who barks all night and pisses us off

slide 5: more examples of noun phrases

English 402:

Grammar

• verb phrases (a.k.a. VPs)

o headword is a verb

slide 6: definition of verb phrases

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Grammar

verb phrase examples (headword in red)

hacks (as in “A smoker often hacks”)

hacks computers (as in “The script kiddie hacks computers”)

has hacked (a computer)

is hacking (government computers)

was hacked

will be hacking (unprotected computers)

may have been hacking (the bank’s central computer)

is going to have been hacked

slide 7: examples of verb phrases

English 402:

Grammar