When we use nouns, we often use them with one or more other words to make a noun phrase.
A noun phrase therefore is a group of words which contains a noun and one or more words that describe it further.
Very often we put a determiner in front of the noun to make a noun phrase:
{determiner} + {noun}
a banana
the house
some people
And we often add adjectives to tell us more about the noun:
{determiner} + {adjective} + {noun}
a big banana
the old house
some angry people
As well as the noun phrases above we can put two nouns together. In this case the first noun acts like an adjective and gives us more information about the second noun:
{noun} + {noun}
computer program
music player
A noun phrase can also consists of a possessive noun and a noun or a possessive adjective and a noun:
{possessive noun} + {noun}
Uncle Tom’s house
the Jeffersons’ house
the young doctor’s house
{possessive adjective} + {noun}
my house
our house
his house
A noun phrase acts just like a single noun in a sentence. All these sentences follow the same pattern:
{noun phrase} + {verb}
The woman smiled.
The woman in the conical hat smiled.
The woman in the palm-leaf conical hat smiled.
The toothless woman in the palm-leaf conical hat smiled.
The old toothless woman in the palm-leaf conical hat smiled.
Useful Links
Nouns in English Grammar – all there is to know about nouns.
Determiners in English Grammar – what they are exactly + examples.
Adjectives in English Grammar – form, types, position.
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