The Noun Phrase

The Noun Phrase

The noun phrase is a group of words that ends with a noun. it can contain determiners (the, a, this, etc.), adjectives, adverbs, and nouns. it CANNOT begin with a preposition. remember that both subjects and complements are generally noun phrases.
In English grammar, a noun phrase has three components:

1.      The head

is the hub, the center of attraction (as it were) of the noun phrase; it is the noun or pronoun around which the other parts gather together. The head determines concord with the portion of the sentence outside the noun phrase. Thus:

The change in the Asian economies is unprecedented.

The changes in Japan’s economy are most unexpected.

2.      Premodification

consists of all the words place before the head. These words are usually determiners, adjectives and nouns. Thus:
That sophisticated city woman (”That” (determiner), “sophisticated” (adjective), “city” (noun); woman (head))
Many honest down and out small-town businessmen (”Many” (determiner), “honest” (adjective), “down and out” (adjective phrase), “small-town” (noun); businessmen (head))

3. Postmodification

comprises words in the noun phrase that follow the head. These words usually consist of prepositional phrases, nonfinite clauses, and relative clauses.Thus:
The talkative man in the center of the room … (prepositional phrase)
All the women walking on the bike path … (non-finite clause)
The house that I purchased for my third husband … (restrictive relative clause)
The house, which my partner and I bought a month after we met, … (non-restrictive relative clause)

There can also be adjectival post-modification:
Corruption aplenty (”aplenty” (adjective); corruption (head)). Thus: Corruption aplenty, in every unsurprising form, graced the occasion.

4. Apposition

A related concept is apposition, a construction usually involving two noun phrases that refer to the same entity (noun or pronoun). Examples:
That president, Abraham Lincoln, lives in the hearts …
Her dog, sixteen years old and nearly blind with cataract, greeted …
The book was written by Jane Doe, a pioneering seventeenth century veterinarian.

Count Noun

In linguistics, a count noun (also countable noun) is a common noun that can be modified by a numeral and occur in both singular and plural form, as well as co-occurring with quantificational determiners like every, each, several, etc. A mass noun has none of these properties. It can’t be modified by a numeral, occur in singular/plural or co-occur with the relevant kind of determiner.

Some determiners can be used with both mass and count nouns, including “some”, “a lot (of)”, “no”. Others cannot: “few” and “many” are used with count items, “little” and “much” with mass. (On the other hand “fewer” is reserved for count and “less” for mass, but “more” is the proper comparative for both “many” and “much”.)

Non_Count nouns

Non-count nouns do not have a singular or a plural form. In a sentance, a noncount noun is treated like a singular noun and uses the verb form for singular nouns.
A and an cannot be used with noncount nouns. However, noncount nouns that represent a collection or a mass may be preceded by a phrase that indicates quantity, or quantifier, such as a lot of, a little, some, much, any. Some determiners can be used only with count or noun-count nouns, while others can be used with either.

I Make sentence and then identify whatever countable or uncountable noun

1.Television
There are units television in my room. (countale)

2. Car
The expensive and the fastest car is ferrari FXX limited.(countale)

3. News
 Everyday I read news.(uncountable)

4. Geography
Physical geography (or physiography) focuses on geography as an Earth science. (uncountable)

5. Atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity.(uncountable)

6. Person
Just a few person left in that room.(countale)

7. Water
I always drink 8 glasses mineral water every day.(uncountable)

8. Pencil
Children usually use pencil to write and to draw.(countale)

9. Food
I’m hungry,please give me some food!(countable)

10. Tooth
My grandfather only have one tooth left. (countale)

11. Soap
Soap is used to be a cleanser in water (countable)

12. Soup
If you cougth cold you should eat a bowl hot soup.(uncountable)

13. Cup
I want a cup of coffee.(countale)

14. Money
I don’t have much money too buy this car.(uncountable)

15. Hydrogen
Hydrogen gas is highly flammable and will burn in air at a very wide range of concentrations between 4% and 75% by volume.(uncountable)

16. Minute
I'll be there in five minutes.(uncountable)

II Choose the correct determiners in the following sentences.

1. He doesn’t have ( many / much ) money.
He doesn’t have much money.

2. I would like ( a few / a little ) salt on my vegetables.
I would like a little salt on my vegetables.

3. She bought ( that / those ) cards last night.
She bought those cards last night.

4. There are ( less / fewer ) students in this room than in the next room.
There are fewer students in this room than in the next room.

5. There is ( too much / too many ) bad news on television tonight.
There is too much bad news on television tonight.

6. I do not want ( these / this ) water.
I do not want this water.

7. This is ( too many / too much ) information to learn.
This is too much information to learn.

8. A ( few / little ) people left early.
A few people left early.

9. Would you like ( less / fewer ) coffee than this?
Would you like less coffee than this?

10. This jacket costs ( too much / too many ).
This jacket costs too much.