Linguistic Topic # 9:

The Noun Phrase and the Verb Phrase: structure and syntactic functions

R. Quirk

I. General Structural Characteristics of Phrases

1. Formal vs Functional Characteristics

Phrases are the immediate formal constituents of clauses (see LT#10). Each phrase is
named after a class of words which has a primary and indeed obligatory function
within it. Consider the following example:
→ Arabian nights
The head of this noun phrase is a noun, while the adjective functions as a determiner.
Yet, the head of a noun phrase may also be a pronoun:
→ the poor; the unemployed etc.

In such cases a distinction is made between form (noun, pronoun etc.) and
function (modifier, head, determinative, complementation etc.)

• Phrases, which contain more than one obligatory element (head), are called
non-headed (prepositional phrases, for example. In the sentence ‘I went to
London’ neither ‘to’ nor ‘London’ could be omitted).
• Another kind of construction is illustrated by adjective phrases, which have
one obligatory element (an adjective), optionally preceded or followed by other
elements. Such phrases are called headed ‘→(very) important (indeed)’;
• The two most important categories of verb-phrases and noun-phrases do not
entirely fit into either group: for them the headed/non-headed distinction is
inadequate

2.Verb phrases (VP) and Noun Phrases (NP)

The verb phrase and the noun phrase can be considered the most important phrasal
categories for functional reasons:
• The verb phrase operates as the verb element in a clause and therefore it is the
most indispensable and ‘central’ part in a clause;
• The noun phrase is important more because of its multiplicity of function (it
can function as any of the clause constituents, except for the V- element)
• A declarative sentence normally contains a verb phrase and at least one noun
phrase

2.1 Verb Phrases:

VPs are headed to the extent that they contain main verbs, but not necessarily
auxiliary verbs. Yet, a nonfinite1 main verb cannot normally stand on its own in
independent clauses: the auxiliaries cannot be omitted:
→ Jack can play the trombone.

1
The s-form and the past form are called FINITE, whereas the to-infinitive, the –ing participle and the –ed
participle are NON-FINITE

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In terms of structure, however, VPs usually consist of:
• A main verb, which either stands alone as the entire verb phrase
• Or is preceded by up to four verbs in an auxiliary function

NP Auxiliary/ auxiliaries Main verb

sank
was sinking
The ship has been sunk
must have been sinking
may have been being sunk

2.2. Noun Phrases:

Similar remarks apply to the NPs. A noun-phrase is headed to the extent that there’s
a central constituent (or head) to which other constituents can be optionally added.
But if we change a plural noun phrase for a singular one, the head can no longer
stand alone:
→ The room contains (some) (beautiful) (Flemish) vases.
→ The room contains a (beautiful) (Flemish) vase.

For a large class of NP a determinative element is usually obligatory. However, there

are head elements that cannot be accompanied by adjectives and/or articles (such as
‘I’, for instance). Therefore, phrases, like clauses, cannot be described by a single
structural formula and various sub-classifications should be made of phrases and of
the syntactic functions of their elements.

Usually NPs consist of:

• A head (typically a noun, but can also be a pronoun; the head usually imposes
its inherent categories on the whole group)
→ An exciting trip to the mountains (sg, countable, common noun:
therefore a determinative ‘an’ is obligatory etc.)
- there are the so-called substitute-heads: these are usually words, which
have no semantic identity of their own and usually are accompanied by a
determinative, a modifier, a qualifier etc.
→ this one (determiner + head)
→ a small red one (determinative, modifier, second modifier, head)
→ that one over there (d, h, q)
- the head can also be a pronoun
• Elements which determine the head (either obligatory or optionally)
• Element which modify the head or complement another element in the phrase
(optionally)

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- Determinative2 Premodification3 Head Postmodification Complementation4
(Postmodification)
- - him - -
Alice’s - wedding - -
that - girl with the red hair -
I remember all those fine warm days in the country
last year
a better story - than that
the best trip - that I ever had

3. Other Phrases

3.1. Adjective Phrases (AP)

APs consist of:

• An adjective as head
• Optionally preceded or followed by modifying elements

- Premodification Head Postmodification Complementation

(Postmodification)
- pleasant -
too hot -
The weather was Incredibly cold - to be enjoyable
- fine enough

Sometimes an obligatory or optional complementation is added.

3.2. Adverb Phrases (AdP)

AdPs consist of:
• An adverb as head
• Optionally preceded or followed by modifying elements

2
Determination: used for the function of words and (sometimes) phrases, which determine what kind of
reference a NP has: whether it is definite (the), indefinite (a/an), partitive (some) or universal (all). Semantically,
all NPs are determined in some way or other, but some noun heads are by their very nature self-determining
(proper nouns and personal pronouns, for instance, are inherently definite and in this sense incorporate their own
determiner).
3
Modification: a largely optional function. Premodifiers precede the head and postmodifiers follow it. Add
‘descriptive’ information to the head.
4
Complementation: part of a phrase or clause, which follows a word and completes the specification of
meaning, which that word implies. As such, complementation may be either obligatory or optional on the
syntactic level. A major difference between complementation and modification on the syntactic level is that:
• The modifying function always relates to the head of a phrase
• The complementing function may relate to a premodifier, which is separated by its compklementation
from the head
→ Greek is a more difficult language than French (‘than French’ complements the comparative adverb ‘more’
rather than the head noun ‘language’. )

Heads are obligatory and modifiers are generally optional, but determination and complementation depend
on the presence of some other element (usually the head) and are functions whose conditions of occurrence
cannot be defined so simply.

Note that some authors also speak of qualifiers: usually after the head, used to describe it still furter;
realized not by individual words, but by embedded clauses and groups
→ the unforgettable times that we spent together.

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 - Premodification Head Postmodification Complementation
(Postmodification)
- yesterda -
y
I spoke to quite often -
him very severely indeed
as clearly as I could

3.3. Prepositional Phrases (PrepP)

PrepPs consist of:

• A preposition
• Followed by a prepositional complement (which is normally a noun phrase)

- Preposition Prepositional Complement

for dinner
at the corner of the street
I met her on Saturday morning
by a strange coincidence

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II. The Structure of the Verb Phrase

We have seen that in one respect the structure of the verb phrase may be described in
terms of auxiliaries and main verbs. In other way, the structure may be represented
in terms of finite and non-finite verb words.

1. Finite Verb Phrases

A finite verb phrase is a verb phrase in which:

• The first (or only word) is a finite verb
• The rest of the verb phrase (if any) consisting of non-finite verb forms only.

1.1. Finite verb phrases can occur as the verb phrases of independent clauses

1.2. Finite verb phrases have tense contrast (distinction between present and past),
as finite verbs distinguish past and present tense
→ He works as a journalist now;
→ He worked as a journalist last year;

1.3. Person and number concord with the subject of a clause, as finite verbs
distinguish –s form (not valid for modals, of course).
→ He works as a journalist → He is a journalist
→ They work as journalists → They are journalists

1.4. Finite verb phrases contain a finite verb form, which may be either an
operator or a simple present or past form.

1.5. Finite verb phrases have mood

→ The council requires that every member attend at least one meeting per
month (subjunctive mood)

2. Nonfinite Verb Phrases

Any phrase in which one of the following verb forms is the first or the only word is a
non-finite verb-phrase:
• The infinitive
• The –ing participle
• The –ed participle
Hence, such phrases do not occur as the verb phrase of an independent clause

Finite verb phrases Non-finite verb phrases

He smokes To smoke like that must be dangerous
Mary is having a smoke I regret having started to smoke
He must smoke 40 a day The cigars smoked here tend to be expensive
You have been smoking all day That was the last cigarette to have been smoked by me

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3. Simple and Complex Verb Phrases

A verb phrase is simple when it consists of only one word (a main verb).
→ He works hard. It is important that he work hard.

A verb phrase is complex when it consists of more than one word.

→ John has worked hard
→ John should be working hard
→ They may have been sold.

There are four basic types of construction in a complex verb phrase:

• Type A (Modal): modal auxiliary + base of the verb (→ must examine)
• Type B (Perfective): auxiliary HAVE + -ed participle (→ have examined)
• Type C (Progressive): auxiliary BE + -ing participle (→ is examining)
• Type D (Passive): auxiliary BE + - ed participle (→ be examined)

These four basic constructions also enter into combinations with each other:
AB: must have examined
AC: must be examining
AD: must be examined
BC: have been examining
BD: have been examined
CD: is being examined
ABC: must have been examining
ABD: must have been examined
Etc …

3.1. Simple and Complex Finite Verb Phrases

The order in which the four constructions can form combinations is indicated by the
alphabetical symbols ABCD, which label them. A cannot follow, b cannot follow C
etc., but gaps are allowed: AC, AD, BD etc.

On the whole, the more complex the verb phrase pattern is, the less commonly it
occurs.

3.2. Simple and Complex Nonfinite Verb Phrases

Unlike finite verb phrases, nonfinite verb phrases have no tense or mood distinctions
and cannot occur as the VP of a main clause. Since modal5 auxiliaries have no non-
finite forms, the modal construction Type A is not available within non-
finite verb phrases.

As it has already been noted, in a single complex finite verb phrase the order of
constructions is limited to ABCD. There is a similar restriction of non-finite verb
phrases to the order BCD could also be noted.

5
Modal auxiliaries can only occur as the first (operator) element of the verb phrase. They cannot occur
in non-finite functions (as infinitives or participles).

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If, however, a non-finite VP follows a finite one, it is possible that:
• The same construction is repeated in each phrase
→ We had hoped / to have finished by then (perfective + perfective)
• The overall alphabetical order is rearranged
→ I was hoping / to have finished by then. (C + B)

III. The Structure of the Noun Phrase

In describing the noun-phrases we need to distinguish the following constituent

parts:

1. The Head

The head is the constituent around which (for the most part) the other constituents
cluster and which dictates concord with other parts of the sentence:
→ (The tall girl standing in the corner) is my sister
→ (The tall girs standing in the corner) are my sisters
→ (The tall girl in the corner who (not *which) wears a blue sweater) is my
sister

There may be more than one head: → table and chairs

Occasionally the head may be a pronoun (→ this one)

2. The Determinative

The determinative includes:

2.1. Predeterminers: all items which precede any central determiner (including
zero article) in a NP: all, both, double
2.2. Central determiners: definite articles, indefinite articles, demonstrative and
possessive pronouns and deictic references (this, these, every, each, my)
2.3. Postdeterminers: follow central determiners, but precede premodifiers
(postdeterminers include numerals: many, few, several) → the few survivors

3. The Premodification

All the items placed before the head, other than determinatives. Premodifiers are
usually:
• Adjectives: some furniture
• Adjective phrases
• Nouns

→ some furniture
→ some expensive furniture
→ some expensive office furniture
→ some very expensive office furniture
→ some very very expensive office furniture

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4. The Post-modification (or the qualifier)

All the items placed after the head:

• Prepositional phrases: the car outside the station
• Nonfinite clauses: the car standing outside the station
• Relative clauses: the car that stood outside the station
• Complementation: a bigger car than that

The indefinitely complex noun phrase

Just as the sentence may be indefinitely complex, so may the NP. This must be so,
since sentences can be reshaped so as to come within noun-phrase structure:

(1) The girl is Mary Smith

(2) The girl is tall
(3) The girl is standing in the corner
(4) The girls became angry because you knocked over her glass

The tall girl standing in the corner who became angry because you knocked over
her glass is Mary Smith

IV. Syntactic Functions

No. Formal Constituents Functional Equivalent

1. Verb Phrase Verb
2. Noun Phrase Subject
Object
Complements
Adverbials
3. Adjective Phrase Complement
4. Adverb Phrase Adverbial
5. Prepositional phrase Adverbial

• The NP can realize any structural element but the predicator

• Note that adverb phrases and prepositional phrases can exceptionally function
as subjects.

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