1. Phrase Structure Ed McCorduck English 402--Grammar SUNY Cortland

2. slide 2: headword of phrases
all phrases have a headword (a.k.a. a head)
English 402: Grammar

3. slide 3: definition of noun phrases
noun phrases (a.k.a. NPs)
headword is a noun
English 402: Grammar

4. slide 4: examples of noun phrases
the dog
dog is the headword of this phrase, dog is a noun, therefore the dog is a noun phrase
English 402: Grammar

5. slide 5: more examples of noun phrases
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
English 402: Grammar

6. slide 6: definition of verb phrases
verb phrases (a.k.a. VPs)
headword is a verb
English 402: Grammar

7. slide 7: examples of verb phrases
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
English 402: Grammar