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Noun Phrase
What Is a Noun Phrase? (with Examples)
A noun phrase is a group of two or more words headed by a noun that includes modifiers. In these examples of noun phrases, the noun is shaded. All the other words are modifiers.- the dog (In this example, "the" is a modifier.)
- a cat (Here, "a" is a modifier.)
- a group of them ("A" and "of them" are modifiers.)
- the man with her ("The" and "with her" are modifiers.)
Table of Contents
- Examples of Noun Phrases
- The Function of Noun Phrases
- More Examples of Noun Phrases
- Video Lesson
- Why Noun Phrases Are Important
- Printable Test
- Noun Clauses vs Noun Phrases

Note: A noun phrase can also be headed by a pronoun. For example:
- the dog with fleas (This is a noun phrase headed by a noun.)
- the one with fleas (This is a noun phrase headed by a pronoun.)
Examples of Noun Phrases
In normal writing, nouns nearly always feature in noun phrases. It is rare to find a noun functioning by itself (i.e., without any modifiers) in a sentence.- Man proposes, but God disposes. (German canon Thomas a Kempis) (This example features two nouns without any modifiers. That's rare. In other words, there are no noun phrases in this example.)
- People: the soldier, my cousin, dopey Alan, the lawyer with the big nose
- Animals: that aardvark, one rat, a shark, funny Mickey
- Places: the house in the corner, inner London, dirty factory, no shelter
- Things: this table, our London Bridge, the sharp chisel, that nitrogen, last month, an inch, her cooking
- Ideas: utter confusion, some kindness, your faith, the Theory of Relativity, a joy
The Function of Noun Phrases
Like any noun, a noun phrase can function as a subject, an object, or a complement within a sentence. In each example below, the noun phrase is in bold and the head noun is highlighted.- Singing in the bath relaxes me. (Here, the noun phrase is the subject of the verb "relaxes.")
- I know the back streets. (Here, the noun phrase is the direct object of the verb "know.")
- She was the devil in disguise. (Here, the noun phrase is a subject complement following the linking verb "was.")
- It relaxes me.
- I know them.
- She was him.
- This man has a nice smile, but he's got iron teeth. (Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko on Mikhail Gorbachev) ("This man" is the subject of the verb "has." The phrase "a nice smile" is the direct object of "has." The noun phrase "iron teeth" is the direct object of the verb "got." Here's the "pronoun test": He has one, but he's got them.)
- I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (Science-fiction writer Robert Heinlein) (The noun phrase "a man who agreed with me" is the object of the preposition "from." Here's the "pronoun test": I never learned from him.)
- Every man of courage is a man of his word. (French dramatist Pierre Corneille) ("Every man of courage" is the subject of the verb "is." The noun phrase "a man of his word" is a subject complement following the linking verb "is." Here's the "pronoun test": He is one.)
More Examples of Noun Phrases
Noun phrases are extremely common. Remember that a noun with any sort of modifier (including just a number or an article) is a noun phrase. Here are some more examples of noun phrases:- The best defense against the atom bomb is not to be there when it goes off. (Anon) (In this example, there is a noun phrase within a noun phrase. The noun phrase "the atom bomb" is the object of the preposition "against." The prepositional phrase "against the atom bomb" modifies "defense.")
- I don't have a bank account, because I don't know my mother's maiden name. (Paula Poundstone) (In this example, both noun phrases are direct objects.)
- The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it. (Dudley Moore, 1935-2002) (In this example, the first noun phrase is the subject, and the second is a subject complement.)
- Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. (Physicist Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)
- Anybody who wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office. (Journalist David Broder) (Here, "anybody" is a pronoun. The rest of the noun phrase is an adjective clause modifying the head "noun." Here's the "pronoun test": He is not to be trusted with the office.)
That said though, there is a common issue associated with noun phrases.
When a noun phrase is the subject of a verb, ensure subject-verb agreement with the head noun.
- The Spitfire's 9-yard belt of bullets give us the term "the full nine yards."
- The Spitfire's 9-yard belt of bullets gives us the term "the full nine yards."
- When a noun phrase is the subject of a verb, don't let the modifiers divert your eye from the head noun as it must govern the verb.
Noun Clauses vs Noun Phrases
Not all grammarians agree on the definitions of clauses and phrases. For some, the term phrase covers everything. In other words, for them, a clause is a type of phrase, and a single word is just a short phrase. Here at Grammar Monster, we go with the following:- Single Word. A single word is not a phrase.
- Phrase. A phrase plays the role of one part of speech and has at least two words.
- Clause. A clause plays the role of one part of speech and has a subject and a verb. (Note: On occasion, the subject may be implied.)
- Anybody who wants the presidency so much that he will spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office. (American journalist David Broder)
Well, no. It's a noun phrase. The text "who wants the presidency so much that he will spend two years organizing and campaigning for it" is functioning as an adjective modifying anybody. In other words, those subjects and verbs feature in an adjective clause. Get it? The bolded text is a noun phrase that contains an adjective clause. That doesn't make it a noun clause.
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